Holi celebrated in Haryana, Punjab with gaiety

Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini extended Holi greetings to people. Saini said that countrys infrastructure has become strong under the Modi government and country has marched on path of progress during the past 10 years.

Holi was celebrated in Punjab, Haryana and their joint capital Chandigarh with great fervour on Monday as people threw colour balloons at each other and visited friends and relatives and distributed sweets.

They applied colours and gulal on each others' faces. While some revellers zoomed through the streets on motorbikes, others danced to music. Durgiana Temple in Amritsar witnessed heavy rush on the day. Punjab Governor and Chandigarh Administrator Banwari Lal Purohit, Haryana Governor Bandaru Dattatreya, Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann and his Haryana counterpart Nayab Singh Saini extended Holi greetings to people. ''The festival of Holi marks the arrival of spring and symbolises the victory of good over evil. As the onset of spring fills the environment with mystic charm and fragrance, may this vibrant festival of colour transcends all social barriers and strengthens social harmony, brings joy, delight, hope and happiness in the lives of people of Punjab and Chandigarh,'' Purohit said.

Dattatreya urged people to celebrate the festival of colours with love, joy and compassion. Mann on X said, ''May God fill everyone's life with colours of joy and maintain mutual love and brotherhood.'' Nayab Saini, who celebrated the festival at his official residence here, said that Holi festival symbolises the victory of good over evil and appealed to the people to celebrate the festival in a true spirit of amity, goodwill and brotherhood. Nayab Saini, speaking to a group of prominent people at his residence, said that together ''we have to realise Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of making country a developed nation''. Narendra Modi has laid a strong foundation for ''Viksit Bharat'' and has given target to realise it by 2047, he said. ''During past ten years, several works have been done by double-engine government for welfare of various sections,'' he said. Saini also said that former chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, during his tenure, had also launched several schemes which benefitted various sections including the poor and farmers. Saini said that country's infrastructure has become strong under the Modi government and country has marched on path of progress during the past 10 years. He also said Jammu and Kashmir, which for decades was affected by militancy, is now marching on path of progress. Haryana Minister Kanwar Pal, State Assembly Speaker Gian Chand Gupta were among those present at Saini's residence. Industrialist and former Congress MP Naveen Jindal, who joined the BJP on Sunday, met Chief Minister Saini and former Chief Minister Khattar here on Monday and greeted them on the occasion of Holi. ''Following the path shown by my father (late) Shri O P Jindal ji, politics has always been a medium of service for us,'' Jindal posted on X after meeting Saini. Khattar celebrated Holi with party workers at the party office in Panchkula. Police in the two states and Chandigarh made elaborate arrangements to ensure a safe and joyous Holi. A warning was issued against hooliganism, while traffic personnel and local police were deployed at many places to check incidents of hooliganism, speeding and reckless driving. Meanwhile, there was a huge rush of devotees for the Holla Mohalla festival of the Sikh community at Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. They also offered prayers at the Takht Sri Kesgarh Sahib.