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Holi celebrations began with fervour as people from all walks of life are enjoying the colour of the festival across India. Like previous years, widows from various shelter homes brushed aside the orthodox traditions that forbid them from taking part in the Holi celebrations. They gathered at the Gopinath Temple in Vrindavan and painted each other with vivid colours. The celebration at the historic temple was kept in abeyance for the last two years due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “It was unbelievable for the widows in the Indian society to break the age-old tradition,” said Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of NGO Sulabh International. In the Nandgaon and Barsana villages of Mathura, the Lathmar Holi was celebrated by a large number of devotees. As per the tradition, women beat up men with sticks. The festival of Holi signifies the victory of good over evil. It brings happiness and marks the end of winters with the beginning of the spring season.
 (BCCL)
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