Holi

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A painting from the collection of the Smithsonian Institution depicting Indian deity Krishna celebrating holi with Radha and the Gopis.

Holi, also called the Festival of Colours, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK, Fiji and Nepal.
In West Bengal of India and Bangladesh, it is known as Dolyatra (Doljatra) or Boshonto Utsav ("spring festival").
The main day, Holi, also known as Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other.
Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (death of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi).The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad had when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion.
Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in Andhra Pradesh. Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalugna or Falguna (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March.

Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.

Observed by Indians (mainly Hindus, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jains), almost all Nepalese (mainly Hindus and a fair amount of Buddhists)

March 12, 2009: Shahdol, India. An eight-year-old girl was today (March 11) allegedly shot at and injured by a person apparently peeved with her for spraying colour on him on the occasion of Holi at Parmaniya Khurd village, police said.
Shelly Gupta suffered bullet injuries in both her legs when a fisherman Mohammad Rashid of Singpur village allegedly opened fire with his gun at a group of children celebrating Holi as they had supposedly sprayed him with colours, Kotwali Police Station In-charge Vijay Pratap Singh told.
She was admitted to the Shahdol District Hospital for treatment where her condition was stated to be out of danger, he said.
Hearing gunshots, the villagers gathered and beat up Rashid and later handed him over to the police, Singh said.