Lathmar Holi, India's carnival of women

The festival is based on a legend: The Hindu deity Krishna wanted to spray his beloved Radha and her friends with colors on Holi Day to annoy them. But she playfully drove him away with sticks. Following this, each year at the time of Holi, the men of Nandagaon visit the town of Barsana and protect themselves from the women's blows with a shield.

The festival not only has a religious background, but also pursues health goals. This is because the dye powder made from traditional medicinal herbs, called gulal, is supposed to cure the fever and colds that often occur among the population during the change of weather in spring.

But nowadays, the paint might not always be all that healthy. Participants report skin and eye irritation caused by the pigments, which are now synthetically produced in many places. This does not seem to detract from the attractiveness of the event.

Devotees at the Radha Rani temple in Barsana don't seem to be concerned. Full of fervor, they sing color-smeared Holi songs in pure Braj, the local language. With their sometimes provocative songs, they try to attract the attention of the women, who in turn retaliate by beating them with sticks.

A man leaves the Radha Rani temple in Barsana after praying. Along with Nandgaon, the town forms the home of the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna, and is the spiritual center of the celebrations. For many of the devout Hindus in India, Lathmar Holi is one of the most important religious festivals of the year.

During the Lathmar Holi festival, women take power for a short time. The fest has numerous spinoffs, though none are really connected to the original festival, either in terms of dates or spirit. Instead, they are more commercial in nature.