Happy Holi week of colors

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Around 1,000 widows celebrate the Holi festival at the Meera Sahabhagini ashram, and festivities spread in other parts of the world

HAPPY HOLI. Indian widows break tradition as they celebrate the ancient Hindu festival of Holi with gulal and colored water. Photos by Prakash Singh/AFP

MANILA, Philippines – Breaking centuries-old tradition, around 1,000 widows living in the holy city of Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, India celebrated the Holi festival at the Meera Sahabhagini ashram.

In a symbolic gesture, the widows participated in the celebration by throwing colored powder called “gulal” and spraying colored water on each other, unlike the previous year where they only sprinkled flower petals.

Widows are considered social outcasts in Indian society and usually refrain from celebrating the festival.

The event was organized by Sulabh International, an Indian NGO trying to improve the condition of widows who are living in government shelter homes. (READ: Holi Festival 2014: Bring color to the Philippines)

Apart from India and Hindu-populated countries like Nepal, the festival has also spread in other parts of the world as a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

See photos and video of the colorful festivities this week from India all the way to America below.


Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh, IndiaIndian widows dressed as the Hindu gods Radha and Krishna prepare their costumes on March 14, 2014. Photo by Rebecca Conway/AFPIndian widows and locals throw flower petals and spray colored water as they celebrate the festival on March 14, 2014. Photo by Prakash Singh/AFPAn Indian widow throws petals and gulal while participating in the festival on March 14, 2014. Photo by Harish Tyagi/EPASmeared with gulal, an Indian widow rests after celebrating on March 14, 2014. Photo by Prakash Singh/AFP


Siliguri, West Bengal, IndiaAn Indian laborer sifts the gulal inside a factory at Fulbari village on March 9, 2014. Photo by Diptendu Dutta/AFP


New Delhi, IndiaIndian vendors sell gulal on March 12, 2014. Photo by Money Sharma/EPA


Calcutta, Eastern IndiaStudents of Rabindrabharati University celebrate the festival at Tagore House on March 12, 2014. Photo by Piyal Adhikary/EPA


Jammu, Kashmir, IndiaIndian college girls close their eyes while their faces are covered with gulal on March 15, 2014. Photo by Jaipal Singh/EPA


Amritsar, IndiaMembers of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu fundamentalist and hardline organization, smear each other with gulal powdered colors on March 16, 2014. Photo by Raminder Pal Singh/EPA


Sidi Dhrif, Tunis, TunisiaA festival-goer is covered with gulal during the music and color festival at the Higher Institute For Tourism Studies on March 12, 2014. Photo by Mohamed Messara/EPA


Kathmandu, Nepal


Manila, Philippines


Taipei, Taiwan


Birmingham, Alabama, USA


Los Angeles, California, USA

 with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com

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