Latmar Holi: The Spring Festival in India10 photos

The religious spring festival in India, Latmar Holi, also known as the "Festival of Colors," is as vibrant in its displays of color as Rio de Janeiro's Carnival. Every year, thousands of people share meals together and then engage in ceremonial dances while wearing their traditional clothing. According to legend, the Hindu god Krishna visited his friend Radha and began teasing her by throwing flowers on her. Radha and her friends chased him away, almost beating him with bamboo sticks. During Latmar Holi, men traditionally play the role of Krishna's friends, chasing women and covering them with colored powder and flower petals. In return, women jokingly threaten them with sticks.

Between these chase games, participants drink a beverage called "tandai," which is made from hemp. By the end of the festival, participants often find themselves in a state of crying and laughing—Indians consider this a religious ecstasy, and it sometimes leads to mass hysteria and revelry.