Holi festivities gain momentum around India, markets busy with shopping

With just three days left for the festival of colours people from all over the nation have flocked to the markets to grab the colours and pichkarisMarkets are abuzz with people shopping for gulal and abeer as well as pichkaris the traditional water guns used to splash colored waterHomes are being decked up with vibrant decorations and sweets like gujiyas are being prepared in kitchens across the country People are stocking up their festive essentialsSimilar visuals have arrived from Uttar Pradeshs Ayodhya where preparations for Holi going on in the markets in Ayodhya as people flock to the marketplaces for festivalrelated shoppingOn Monday devotees celebrated with joy during the Rangbhari Ekadashi festival at the Kashi Vishwanath Temple premises This vibrant event marks the start of the Holi festivities and is observed five days prior to the main celebration of HoliThe atmosphere is filled with color devotion and excitement as participants take part in the joyous occasionMeanwhile the traditional Lathmar Holi festivities commenced in Nandagaon on Sunday marking the beginning of the weeklong Holi celebrations in MathuraThis unique and vibrant event celebrated with great enthusiasm is deeply rooted in the legends of Lord Krishna and RadhaAccording to folklore Lathmar Holi symbolises the playful exchange between Krishnas village Nandagaon and Radhas village Barsana It is believed that Krishna along with his friends visited Barsana to tease Radha and her companions who playfully responded by chasing them away with sticks lathisThis tradition continues today as women from Barsana visit Nandagaon to engage in a mock battle with men wielding shields for protectionDevotees and tourists from across the country and abroad gathered at Nandagaons famous temple premises to witness the colorful spectacleThe air resonated with Holi bhajans and chants of Radhe Radhe as participants drenched each other in gulal colored powder The event saw an elaborate arrangement of flowers music and traditional sweets adding to the festive spiritFollowing Lathmar Holi in Nandagaon the celebrations will continue in Barsana where men from Nandagaon will visit to partake in the joyous traditionThe Holi festivities in Mathura widely regarded as the birthplace of Lord Krishna will culminate with grand processions cultural performances and temple rituals leading up to the main Holi festivalAuthorities have deployed additional security measures to ensure a smooth celebration with local administration closely monitoring crowd management and traffic controlPeople in Sambhal also celebrated Rangbhari Ekadashi Holi amid tight security on MondayThis story has been sourced from a third party syndicated feed agencies Midday accepts no responsibility or liability for its dependability trustworthiness reliability and data of the text Midday managementmiddaycom reserves the sole right to alter delete or remove without notice the content in its absolute discretion for any reason whatsoever