٠٠:٠٥:٠٨Thousands gathered for the Masan Holi festival in Varanasi on Thursday, a distinctive celebration that blends joyous festivities with solemn reverence for death.
The footage filmed at the Ganga Gat temple, features performers adorned in colourful attire and cremation pyre ash danced to drumbeats, captivating locals and tourists alike.
For first-time attendee Natalia, Masan Holi's contrasts were striking. "I came to Varanasi to see how people celebrate Masan Holi. There's so much vibrancy, but you also see burning bodies," she said, noting the significance of ash in the festival's colours.
Unlike traditional Holi, which celebrates love, Masan Holi is unique to Varanasi and is associated with Lord Shiva's playful rituals with pyre ashes.
This year's festival saw record attendance, signalling its growing popularity. It begins with prayers to Mahashamashan Nath, symbolising life's cycle and pursuit of salvation.
Colours of life and death - Thousands gather for Varanasi's Masan Holi festival
Thousands gathered for the Masan Holi festival in Varanasi on Thursday, a distinctive celebration that blends joyous festivities with solemn reverence for death.
The footage filmed at the Ganga Gat temple, features performers adorned in colourful attire and cremation pyre ash danced to drumbeats, captivating locals and tourists alike.
For first-time attendee Natalia, Masan Holi's contrasts were striking. "I came to Varanasi to see how people celebrate Masan Holi. There's so much vibrancy, but you also see burning bodies," she said, noting the significance of ash in the festival's colours.
Unlike traditional Holi, which celebrates love, Masan Holi is unique to Varanasi and is associated with Lord Shiva's playful rituals with pyre ashes.
This year's festival saw record attendance, signalling its growing popularity. It begins with prayers to Mahashamashan Nath, symbolising life's cycle and pursuit of salvation.
Thousands gathered for the Masan Holi festival in Varanasi on Thursday, a distinctive celebration that blends joyous festivities with solemn reverence for death.
The footage filmed at the Ganga Gat temple, features performers adorned in colourful attire and cremation pyre ash danced to drumbeats, captivating locals and tourists alike.
For first-time attendee Natalia, Masan Holi's contrasts were striking. "I came to Varanasi to see how people celebrate Masan Holi. There's so much vibrancy, but you also see burning bodies," she said, noting the significance of ash in the festival's colours.
Unlike traditional Holi, which celebrates love, Masan Holi is unique to Varanasi and is associated with Lord Shiva's playful rituals with pyre ashes.
This year's festival saw record attendance, signalling its growing popularity. It begins with prayers to Mahashamashan Nath, symbolising life's cycle and pursuit of salvation.