A festival of colours

The Hindu festival of Holi, marking the beginning of spring, is celebrated by devotees all over the world - in India, Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji among others - by its unique tradition of dousing the faithful in coloured water and colour powder.

A boy shakes his head to remove coloured powder after it was applied on him while celebrating Holi, also known as the festival of colours, in the northeastern Indian city of Agartala March 8, 2012. The traditional event heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated across the country.