Kolkata, Mar 3 (UNI) West Bengal on Tuesday revelled in the vibrant festivities of Dol Yatra, as the advent of spring was marked by splashes of colour, devotional music and convivial gatherings across the state.

In the state capital, residents exchanged sweets and greetings in keeping with tradition. As the morning wore on, groups of youngsters took to the streets, laughing and singing as they tossed water balloons and applied bright abir (coloured powders) and rong (colours mixed with water) on friends and acquaintances, creating a cheerful and festive atmosphere in many neighbourhoods.

Beyond the metropolis, the festival unfolded with devotional splendour. In parts of the state, the festival is marked by placing the idols of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin, which is carried by the devotees around the town. People dance around and sing hymns in joy, and spray coloured water and smear gulal on each other.

The International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON) at its global headquarters in Nadia district’s Mayapur - about 130 km from Kolkata, observed the day as the 540th birth anniversary of Vaishnav saint Chaitanya Mahaprabhu.

Devotional songs and cultural programmes, discourses about the life and teachings of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu were organised on the occasion. UNI NST SSP