Holi amid pandemic: Women in Kolkata celebrate the festival wearing PPE kits

Amid the pandemic, women in the Gauribari area of North Kolkata gathered wearing PPE kits to play Holi. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

The women used PPE kits to protect themselves against coronavirus without sacrificing the joy of playing Holi. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

The women claimed to spread the message of social distancing. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

This year, Holi was celebrated on 29 March, 2021. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Holi is usually celebrated during the Phalguna month, beginning from the Purnima Tithi. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

A woman is seen greeting a friend in PPE. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Rangwali Holi, where people commonly play with colours, is celebrated after Holika Dahan. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

People young and old gather together and play with colours and pichkaris. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Since time immemorial, Holi is remembered to acknowledge the victory of good over evil. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Holi is a festival of joy and people make delicious sweets and savouries on this day, gujiyas being the most common among them. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Though a predominantly Hindu festival, Holi brings people from all communities together. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Thanks to scientific development, gulal today comes in various colours, with many being people and environment-friendly. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Holi is not only observed in India but also in Nepal and some parts of Southeast Asia. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Traditionally, gulal or the colours applied on one another were made from flowers. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

The festival is also associated with a legend of Lord Krishna. People believe that he had playfully smeared colour on Radha's face upon his mother's suggestion. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

While Holi is celebrated across the country, places related to Lord Krishna's birth like Mathura have grand celebrations of Holi. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Thandai is a popular Holi drink, which uplifts the already high spirits of people! (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Every Holi, people smear each other's clothes and faces with colour and celebrate together. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

Here, women are seen enjoying the day by dancing. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)

This year, however, mass gatherings were prohibited in many areas due to the ongoing pandemic. (Express photo by Shashi Ghosh)