Country celebrates festival of colours

Wearing clothes dyed in myriad hues, people visited friends and relatives and gifted `gujia` (a sweet) besides smearing `gulal` on each other`s faces.

Children had most of the fun as they sprayed coloured water using water guns and hurled water-filled balloons on passersby from the safety of rooftops.

President Pratibha Patil and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh greeted the nation on the occasion of the festival.

Top BJP leader L K Advani celebrated Holi with family and friends at his residence here. Senior BJP leaders Rajnath Singh and Ananth Kumar visited him.

The streets wore a multi-colour look as revellers came out of houses to join the festivities.

In the national capital the day passed off peacefully.

The police had issued warning against playing hooliganism in the guise of revelries.

In Rajasthan, a police officer was injured when a clash broke out between two communities in Hasanpura area near Jaipur.

SHO Sadar Manoj Gupta received minor injuries in the clash which took place during the Holi celebrations, police said adding the situation was tense but under control.