Holi is known as Dol Yata in this part of the country.
Holi was on Wednesday celebrated with gaiety and fervour in West Bengal as revellers took to the streets with sprinklers since morning.
Streets took rainbow hues as people played with colours to mark the festival, known as 'Dol Yatra' in this part of the country. The revellers, a majority of them youngsters, broke into jigs and some sang songs as they smeared "gulal" on the faces of friends, relatives and even complete strangers.
The festival, which marks the advent of Spring, was celebrated as traditional "Basantotsav", (Spring festival) in the university town of Santiniketan in Birbhum district, where Visva-Bharati students and professors participated in the customary 'prabhat pheri' (morning procession).
A large number of tourists from all over the country who gathered there also listened to recitals of Rabindranath Tagore's songs and saw dance performance on the occasion. The day was celebrated with religious fervour at the Vaishnav shrines of Nabadwip in Nadia district and also at the ISCKON headquarters in nearby Mayapur.
Holi played in Kolkata (PTI)
Monks of Ramakrishna Mission celebrated the day with the traditional 'prabhat pheri' inside the premises of the order's global headquarter Belur Math. They also smeared each other with "gulal".
With the Assembly poll round the corner, political parties of all hues used "Dol Yatra" or Holi as a tool to reach out to the masses. Kolkata mayor and TMC candidate Sovan Chatterjee, panchayat minister Subrata Mukherjee and other leaders were seen smearing gulal on people's faces to celebrate Holi. Some of them were even seen taking selfies with young voters.
"Playing Holi has no connection with election. Every year, I play Holi with the people of my constituency and my supporters. So this year it is nothing new," Sovan Chatterjee said. Leaders also took to the streets to celebrate Holi with people of their respective areas and supporters and colourful processions were organised in their respective areas.
Rupa Ganguly playing Holi (PTI)
"It is a festival which resembles the ethos and culture of our country and reminds us that irrespective of various caste, religion and creed India is one," said Congress state president Adhir Chowdhury.
BJP leader Rupa Ganguly also played Holi with voters of her constituency.
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