Holi festival of colors

Holi, India's joyful and colorful celebration of the arrival of spring combined with several religious legends, has long ceased to be only a Hindu festival. The streets and lanes across most of India on Friday turned into a large playground where people of all faiths threw colored powder and water at each other.

Children are free to toss water balloons at unsuspecting passers-by.

The celebration begins the night before Holi, when large bonfires are lit, to mark the victory of good over evil.

Then it's time for the fun with colors to begin. The cautious may smear themselves with mustard oil or Vaseline so the colors don't damage their skin too much.

Being covered in color brings relative anonymity, and in largely conservative India, this also means Holi is a time when men and women and boys and girls can mingle with relative freedom.

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 photo, Indian Hindu widows and others play with colored powder as part of Holi celebrations at the Meera Sahabhagini Widow Ashram in Vrindavan, India. The widows celebrated the Hindu festival of colors at the ashram. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

In this Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 photo, Indian Hindu devotees smeared with colors visit the Nandagram temple, famous for Lord Krishna and his brother Balram, during Lathmar Holi festival, in Nandgaon, India. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 photo, a widow raises her hands as others throw colored powder on her during celebrations marking Holi at the Meera Sahabhagini WidowAshram in Vrindavan, India. The widows celebrated the Hindu festival of colors at the ashram. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Indian Hindu men smeared with colors play holi during Lathmar festival celebrations in Nandgaon, India, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 photo, trays filled with colored powder and flower petals lie on a floor to be used by widows to celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Meera Sahabhagini Widow Ashram in Vrindavan, India. After their husband's deaths many of the women in the ashrams have been banished by their families, for supposedly bringing bad luck, while some move voluntarily to and around the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Hindu widow lies on a sludgy ground filled with a mixture of colored powder, water and flower petals during celebrations to mark Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Meera Sahabhagini Widow Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Tuesday, March 3, 2015. After their husband's deaths many of the women in the ashrams have been banished by their families, for supposedly bringing bad luck, while some move voluntarily to and around the town where devotees believe Lord Krishna was born. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

A Hindu woman devotee lifts her veil as she stands drenched in colored water during "Huranga," celebrated as part of Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Baldev Temple in Dauji, 180 kilometers (113 miles) south of New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 7, 2015. During Huranga women playfully hit men with cloth whips as men drench them with buckets of colored water. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Hindu widows throw colored powder on an Indian policeman as they celebrate Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Meera Sahabhagini Widow Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Tuesday, March 3, 2015. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the Hindu festival of colors at the ashram. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Colored powder is thrown on a woman devotee during Lathmar holi festival celebrations, in Nandgaon, India, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Colored powder and water is thrown as Hindu devotees participate in "Huranga," during celebrations marking Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Baldev Temple in Dauji, 180 kilometers (113 miles) south of New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 7, 2015. During Huranga women playfully hit men with cloth whips as men drench them with buckets of colored water. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

Indian Hindu widows dance with Bindeshwar Pathak, founder of non-governmental organization Sulabh International, as they celebrate Holi at the Meera Sahabhagini Widow Ashram in Vrindavan, India, Tuesday, March 3, 2015. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the Hindu festival of colors at the ashram. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

Hindu men from the village of Barsana throw colored water on the villagers of Nandgaon from the roof of the Ladali or Radha temple before the procession for the Lathmar Holi festival at the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, in Barsana, 115 kilometers (71 miles) from New Delhi, India, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Barsana beat the men from Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Indian Hindu devotees walk with empty buckets after emptying the contents on women participating in "Huranga," during celebrations marking Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, at the Baldev Temple in Dauji, 180 kilometers (113 miles) south of New Delhi, India, Saturday, March 7, 2015. During Huranga women playfully hit men with cloth whips as men drench them with buckets of colored water. (AP Photo/Bernat Armangue)

An Indian Hindu devotee from Barsana village prostrates amid colors as he prays at the Nandagram temple, famous for Lord Krishna and his brother Balram, during Lathmar holi festival, in Nandgaon, India, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Friday, March 6, 2015, file photo, water falls on the colored hand of a man, dancing during Holi celebrations in Gauhati, India. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, also marks the advent of spring. (AP Photo/Anupam Nath)

Hindu men from the village of Nandgaon dance as colored powder is thrown at Ladali or Radha temple before taking out a procession for the Lathmar Holi festival at the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, in Barsana, 115 kilometers (71 miles) from New Delhi, India, Friday, Feb. 27, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Barsana beat the men from Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Thursday, March 5, 2015 photo, people smear colored powder on the face of a girl as they celebrate Holi in Kolkata, India. (AP Photo/Bikas Das)

A Hindu devotee smeared with colors watches as he visits the Nandagram temple, famous for Lord Krishna and his brother Balram, during Lathmar holi festival, in Nandgaon, India, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015 photo, Indian Hindu women from Nandgaon village beat the shield of a man from Barsana during Lathmar festival celebrations in Nandgaon, India. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

Indian villagers from Nandgaon wait for the arrival of villagers from Barsana at the Nandagram temple, famous for Lord Krishna and his brother Balram, during Lathmar holi festival, in Nandgaon, India, Saturday, Feb. 28, 2015. During Lathmar Holi the women of Nandgaon, the hometown of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary hometown of Radha, consort of Hindu God Krishna, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing as they depart the town. (AP Photo/Saurabh Das)

In this Tuesday, March 3, 2015 photo, Indian Hindu widows stand covered with colored powder after celebrations marking Holi at the Pagal Baba Ashram in Vrindavan, India. The widows, many of whom at times have lived desperate lives in the streets of the temple town, celebrated the Hindu festival of colors at the ashram. (AP Photo/Tsering Topgyal)

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Text from the AP news story, AP PHOTOS: India celebrates spring with festival of colors.

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