Mumbaikars drown in Holi revelry

Mumbaikars today celebrated Holi, the festival of colours, with great fervour and enthusiasm.

Mumbaikars today celebrated Holi, the festival of colours, with great fervour and enthusiasm.

HT Image

At several housing societies people of all age groups were seen smearing each others' faces with colours and frolicking with coloured water while children drowned in revelry hurling water-filled balloons at one another.

Holi, also known as 'Dhulheti' is celebrated by people by applying rainbow colour powder on each other.

Bonfires were lit a day before and the ritual is popularly known as the 'Holika Dahan'. It marks the harvesting of winter crop (Rabi) when wheat corns get ripened and turn golden brown. Farmers celebrate Holi by offering their first crop to the Fire God Agni.

'Rangpanchami' traditionally marks the end of the colour fun, five days after Holi.

People today gorged on traditional Holi delicacies like 'Jalebi' and 'Thandai'.

Mayor Shraddha Jadhav appealed Mumbaikars to celebrate a 'dry holi' this year reduce wastage of water owing to scarcity following poor rainfall last year.

Heavy police patrolling was witnessed across the city and barricades were erected at several places to keep an eye on miscreants and cases of drunken driving.