Dol Purnima 2023: Holi And Basant Utsav Celebrations Take Over West Bengal And Tripura, Streets Drenched In Colours

West Bengal celebrated Dol Utsav on Tuesday. People from all age groups came out on the streets in large numbers and smeared 'gulal' or 'aabir' on each other. (Image Source: PTI)

Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima is celebrated on a full moon day, and the festival is dedicated to Shri Radha-Krishna. According to legends, it was on this day that Krishna first expressed his love for Radha by throwing 'Phag' (powdered colour akin to gulaal) on her face and played on a swing with her 'sakhis'. (Image Source: PTI)

The word Dol literally means swing. After the putting of colour, the sakhis celebrate the moment of union by carrying the duo around on a palanquin - meaning jatra (journey). The day also marks the last festival of the year as per the Bengali calendar. (Image Source: PTI)

Tripura is celebrating Basant Utsav. While Tripura celebrated Basant Utsav on Tuesday, West Bengal on the other hand celebrated it on Monday and Sunday itself. (Image Source: PTI)

Basant Utsav literally means the 'celebration of spring'. The beautiful tradition of celebrating spring festival in Bengal was first started by Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, at Vishwabharati Shantiniketan, the University founded by him. (Image Source: PTI)

Odissi dancer and wife of former Indian cricket captain Sourav Ganguly, Dona Ganguly also took part in Basant Utsav celebrations on Sunday in West Bengal. She performed with her dance group Diksha Manjari during the celebration of Basanta Utsav, at Indian Museum in Kolkata. (Image Source: PTI)

What is appreciated is the grace and diginified manner in which Vasant Utsav is celebrated in West Bengal as compared to boisterous Holi witnessed in most parts of India. (Image Source: PTI)

Students danced during 'Basanta Utsav' celebrations ahead of the Holi festival, in Murshidabad district on Monday. (Image Source: PTI)