Nepal celebrates Holi, Festival of Colours

Holi, the festival of colours, as known as Fagu Purnima (full moon) in Nepal, marks the arrival of spring. Traditionally a romantic celebration of spring within one's inner circles, the festival has taken a turn in the now-overcrowded capital- becoming a curious mix of raucous water-fights, hooliganism and traditional beliefs. Gangs of young men roam the streets with an array of coloured powders and water-bombs to attack unsuspecting passers-by. In Kathmandu's Durbar Square, as youths celebrate rowdily, a steady stream of pilgrims pay homage at the "chir", a 25-feet tall bamboo pole erected in the middle of the square to symbolize a tree where Lord Krishna placed the clothes of the Gopini milkmaids bathing in the Jamuna river. Along with its seasonal significance, Holi is a festival abound with legends. Most popular is of all is the tale of hero Prahlad's victory over the the demoness Holika, from which the festival acquired its name.

Holi, the festival of colours, as known as Fagu Purnima (full moon) in Nepal, marks the arrival of spring. Traditionally a romantic celebration of spring within one's inner circles, the festival has taken a turn in the now-overcrowded capital- becoming a curious mix of raucous water-fights, hooliganism and traditional beliefs. Gangs of young men roam the streets with an array of coloured powders and water-bombs to attack unsuspecting passers-by. In Kathmandu's Durbar Square, as youths celebrate rowdily, a steady stream of pilgrims pay homage at the "chir", a 25-feet tall bamboo pole erected in the middle of the square to symbolize a tree where Lord Krishna placed the clothes of the Gopini milkmaids bathing in the Jamuna river. Along with its seasonal significance, Holi is a festival abound with legends. Most popular is of all is the tale of hero Prahlad's victory over the the demoness Holika, from which the festival acquired its name.

Holi, the festival of colours, as known as Fagu Purnima (full moon) in Nepal, marks the arrival of spring. Traditionally a romantic celebration of spring within one's inner circles, the festival has taken a turn in the now-overcrowded capital- becoming a curious mix of raucous water-fights, hooliganism and traditional beliefs. Gangs of young men roam the streets with an array of coloured powders and water-bombs to attack unsuspecting passers-by. In Kathmandu's Durbar Square, as youths celebrate rowdily, a steady stream of pilgrims pay homage at the "chir", a 25-feet tall bamboo pole erected in the middle of the square to symbolize a tree where Lord Krishna placed the clothes of the Gopini milkmaids bathing in the Jamuna river. Along with its seasonal significance, Holi is a festival abound with legends. Most popular is of all is the tale of hero Prahlad's victory over the the demoness Holika, from which the festival acquired its name.

Holi, the festival of colours, as known as Fagu Purnima (full moon) in Nepal, marks the arrival of spring. Traditionally a romantic celebration of spring within one's inner circles, the festival has taken a turn in the now-overcrowded capital- becoming a curious mix of raucous water-fights, hooliganism and traditional beliefs. Gangs of young men roam the streets with an array of coloured powders and water-bombs to attack unsuspecting passers-by. In Kathmandu's Durbar Square, as youths celebrate rowdily, a steady stream of pilgrims pay homage at the "chir", a 25-feet tall bamboo pole erected in the middle of the square to symbolize a tree where Lord Krishna placed the clothes of the Gopini milkmaids bathing in the Jamuna river. Along with its seasonal significance, Holi is a festival abound with legends. Most popular is of all is the tale of hero Prahlad's victory over the the demoness Holika, from which the festival acquired its name.