A myriad of shades, an array of delicacies and loaded water guns all mark the arrival of Holi in India. The “Festival of Colours” also denotes the onset of spring in the country.

Holi is known to bring together people of all faiths, a phenomenon that led to the phrase “Bura na maano, Holi hain” being coined. The joy and enthusiasm, along with the multitude of colours one gets to see during Holi celebrations, make for some stunning photographs.

Here’s how the festival was celebrated in India and its neighbouring countries on Monday:

People play with colours in Mathura, Uttar Pradesh on Sunday (Pic: PTI)
A girl plays with coloured powders while celebrating Holi at a special function in Kolkata, West Bengal (Pic: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP)
Sunlight shines down on Holi celebrations in Mathura's Radha Rani Temple in Uttar Pradesh (Pic: PTI)
A students gets hit in the face with coloured water during Holi celebrations in Chennai, Tamil Nadu (Pic: Arun Sarkar/AFP)
A student poses for a photograph after playing with colours in Kolkata, West Bengal (Pic: Dibyangshu Sarkar/AFP)
Children celebrate Holi in Karachi, Pakistan (Pic: Rizwan Tabassum/AFP)
Hindu devotees take part in the festival of Holi in Nandgaon village, Uttar Pradesh (Pic: Adnan Abidi/Reuters)
A group of teenagers take a selfie during Holi celebrations organised by "Colombo Indians" in the Sri Lankan capital (Pic: Dinuka Liyanawatte/Reuters)
Widows celebrate with colour in the famous Gopinath Temple in Vrindava, Uttar Pradesh (Pic: PTI)
People take part in Holi celebrations in Kathmandu, Nepal (Pic: Navesh Chitrakar/Reuters)
Students take a selfie after playing with colours in Murshidabad, West Bengal (Pic: PTI)
A duo on a scooter get hit with colours while passing by a celebrating group in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh (Pic: PTI)
Artist Manas Sahoo creates a sand sculpture on Holi on a beach in Puri, Odisha (Pic: PTI)