Holi celebrated across West Bengal

Kolkata, Mar 25 (PTI) The festival of colours Holi, which is known as Dol Yatra in West Bengal, was celebrated across the state on Monday by people from all walks of life.

Prabhat pheris (processions) were brought out from early in the morning in various places across the state, as merrymakers and devotees with images of Radha Krishna smeared gulals and showered flowers among people, while singing songs.

Young ones with balloons and pichkari (water gun) filled with coloured water and the elders with gulal of various hues from pink to green, were out on the streets having fun and smearing each other and also exchanging sweets.

Dol Yatra was celebrated at Nabadwip, with pujas offered to Radha Krishna and Shri Chaitanya Deb and also at Mayapur ISKCON temple, starting from Sunday, on the occasion of Dol Purnima (full moon).

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee greeted all through social media on the occasion of Dol Purnima and Holi.

The festival of colours was celebrated with full gusto across Kolkata, Howrah, Durgapur, Asansol, Siliguri and other towns and hamlets across the state.

Though the Basanta Utsav at Visva-Bharati University, Shantiniketan which was introduced by Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore to usher in spring, was not celebrated this year also, people did gather in the town to celebrate in their own way.

The Basant Utsav, which was last held in 2019, used to be a grand affair with about one lakh people participating in it. Besides the ashramites, people from various places across the state as well as from outside used to gather at Shantiniketan to celebrate the festival.