Best printers for Home

Best Mixer Grinder

Best wired Earphones

Best 43 Inch TV in India

Best Wi Fi Routers

Best Home Theatre in India

Smart Watch under 5000

Best Laptops for Education

Best Laptop for Students

<ul><li>People are choosing to stay home this year for Holi amid fear of coronavirus.</li><li>You can still celebrate the festival by tapping into live streams and using Holi stickers on WhatsApp, Hike and other social networking platforms.</li><li>Games like Teen Patti Gold and PUBG have also added Holi-themed features.</li></ul>Amid fears of coronavirus and the tense environment created by India’s new citizenship laws, not everyone is in the mood to step out of the house to celebrate Holi, the Indian festival of colours. Last week, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Ram Nath Kovind announced their plans to stay away from Holi celebrations due to the this year because of the coronavirus threat. All over the country, people are taking precautions and avoiding when it comes to mass gatherings. The good news is that you don’t necessarily need to leave your house in order to celebrate Holi. Everything that makes the festival fun — like chilling with friends, splashing throwing colours at each other, and playing games — can be done online. 
	


<div type="image" title="holi2_edited" msid="74546307" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Holi celebrations in Vrindhavan&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>
 Participating in the biggest Holi celebrations across India The biggest Holi celebrations in India are hosted in Uttar Pradesh. You can tune in for what’s happening by tapping into the live stream by <a href="https://vrindavan.tv/">Vrindavan TV.</a> 
	<div type="image" title="holamohalla_edited" msid="74546400" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Hola Mohalla preparations at Anandpur Sahib&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>


 You can even catch the annual <keyword id="2751667" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Warrior-Holi">Warrior Holi</keyword>, or Hola Mohalla, taking place in <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOOL-P5Dcks">Anandpur Sahib</a> in Punjab online. Nihangs — Sikh warriors who claim to be descendants of the tenth Guru of the Sikhs, Gobind Singh — perform physical feats and participate in mock battles using real weapons. Getting everyone together One of the biggest pulls of Holi is getting to celebrate the festival with friends and family. One way to undercut the threat of coronavirus and still be in touch is to hop online and get on a video call. WhatsApp, Skype, and Google Hangouts are only some of the options on the table that allow for multiple people on a single one video call. 
	<div type="image" title="holihike" msid="74546457" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;New stickers introduced on Hike for Holi&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>



 You also use social networking apps like Hike and TikTok to share the sentiment of Holi without stepping out. Both introduced new Holi-themed stickers and filters last week. On TikTok, #HappHoli2020 is currently trending. Multiplayer-gaming PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile is celebrating Holi in its own way. Players can earn items in-game by collecting gulal. The more tasks you complete, the more gulal you have in your kitty, and the more items you can redeem — including outfits, Holi-themed skin for you DP28, and a gulal trail as you jump from the plane. <div type="image" title="holipubg" msid="74546524" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Holi offers on PUBG&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div>

 If PUBG isn’t your cup of tea, you can always go old-school with <a href="https://techcrunch.com/2015/03/11/moonfrog-labs/">Teen Patti Gold</a> — a mobile game based on a three-card poker that’s popular in India. The developers just added a new feature that allows players to haul dye and throw paint at one another across the table while playing the game. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-cast-a-shadow-on-holi-traders-report-fewer-customers/articleshow/74505796.cms">Coronavirus cast a shadow on Holi, traders report fewer customers</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-may-make-holi-colours-costlier-by-50-this-year/articleshow/74473922.cms">Coronavirus may make Holi colours costlier by 50% this year</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/vrindavan-will-stay-away-from-holi-amid-coronavirus-outbreak/articleshow/74505820.cms">Vrindavan will stay away from Holi amid coronavirus outbreak</a>

Holi goes online as coronavirus fears keep people at home

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Holi, the Hindu celebration known as the festival of colors, kicked off on March 9 with bonfire rituals representing the triumph of good over evil. </li><li>In at least two communities in India, devotees built an effigy representing the coronavirus, which they burned as part of a ritual known as "Holika Dahan."</li><li>While coronavirus fears kept some devotees at home and have decreased sales for certain vendors in India, early Holi celebrations indicate that festivities will proceed as usual tomorrow.</li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul>

Residents in Mumbai, India, burned an effigy depicting the coronavirus as a big, blue demon during Holi celebrations

<ul class="summary-list"><li>People celebrate the <keyword id="6368818" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="hindu">Hindu</keyword> holiday of Holi with colorful <keyword id="65546" type="ENTERTAINMENT" weightage="60" keywordseo="powder">powder</keyword> known as gulal.</li><li>One company in Hathras, <keyword id="3658" type="COUNTRY" weightage="60" keywordseo="India">India</keyword>, makes over 6,000 tons of gulal every year.</li><li>We went inside the factory churning out powder year-round in the gulal capital of the world.</li></ul>Yellow is one of the most popular colors thrown during Holi. Called gulal, the fine powder is made from a mixture of starch and dyes.One factory in India, Radha Kishan <keyword id="22510" type="COMPANY" weightage="60" keywordseo="color">Color</keyword> World, produces 2,000 tons of gulal annually. It's based in the northern city of <a href="https://www.assocham.org/newsdetail.php?id=5585">Hathras</a>, where most of the world's gulal comes from. We went inside one of the largest manufacturers to see how it's preparing for its first Holi during the pandemic. Ratan Bihari Agrawal and his family are behind <a href="http://www.thecolorpowder.com/contact.htm">Radha Kishan Color World</a>, also known as the <a href="https://rbcolour.com/about.html">Cock Brand</a>."Our business is 80 years old," he told Insider. He and his family have run the company for four generations. One of the main products they produce is gulal, churning out more than 600 pounds of the powder a day. <div type="image" title="Employees prepare Holi toys before celebrations begin" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764091" hostid="261"></div>In Hathras, Holi powder production brings in more than <a href="https://www.amarujala.com/uttar-pradesh/hathras/hathras-sanjeevani-could-not-meet-the-budget-for-traditional-industries-of-the-district-hathras-news-ali255185086">30 crore rupees</a>, or over $4 million, each year. There are over a <a href="https://www.patrika.com/hathras-news/color-gulal-of-hathras-will-be-scattered-in-nationwide-festival-holi-6699780/">dozen</a> gulal-making facilities in the city alone. The Cock Brand itself employs almost 100 people to focus on five main processes: packaging, handmade processing, controlling the command center, storage, and gulal drying in nearby fields. The company makes both handmade and machine-processed gulal to keep up with demand.<div type="image" title="Woman helping to process pink gulal powder." height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764093" hostid="261"></div>The Cock Brand works with hundreds of colors. Each popular Holi color has at least a dozen hues."Imagine life without colors. Imagine life in black and white. It is boring. Colors give you pop," said Manu Garg, Ratan's brother. "Every color tells a story. Red stands for love. Blue is for royalty. Pink [is] for caring and yellow is for happiness," he said. <div type="image" title="Starch is mixed with water during handmade processing" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764094" hostid="261"></div>The first part of the process always starts with a starch mixture. Corn starch is the base for the color powder. It's used instead of common bases like talcum because it's less toxic and much lighter. Then, the mixture goes through a grinder before it's baked in the sunlight.While baking is an important step, the city in Uttar Pradesh is prone to rain and even monsoons, which affect when the gulal is dried. In addition, the powder production coincides with the region's farming season. And both factors play a role in how much gulal can be produced before Holi. Ratan recalls times when orders were affected by rain, sometimes losing 60% to 70% of orders.<div type="image" title="This process can take a few hours" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764096" hostid="261"></div>To prevent loss, Ratan and Manu invested in a mechanized gulal making process. "Within seconds, it converts pure starch directly into gulal. The machine now works 24 hours a day. We only halt the machine on Sunday for greasing," he said.On top of gulal, the company makes over 260 types of gulal-dispensing toys. The Cock Brand sells most of its products straight to businesses, but many gadgets can be found at the Hathras Color Market. Open year-round, it's one of the largest Holi markets in the world.Hathras became the gulal hub due to it's proximity with the Braj region, where Holi celebrations last as long as two weeks. In the city, it's used often. "For any happy occasion, gulal is used. When a candidate wins an election, they celebrate it with gulal." Gulal is also a popular prop in Bollywood movies. "Our gulal is used to show celebration, in serials, movies and stories," Ratan said. <div type="image" title="There are hundreds of different gulal powders" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764098" hostid="261"></div>The tradition of Holi can be traced back to several Hindu legends about Lord Krishna."When Lord Krishna and Radha Rani play Holi with each other, it shows the emotion of love and compassion," Manu said. Depending on the region, Holi can be a multiday festival or an afternoon celebration. The first evening is known as <a href="https://www.india.com/festivals-events/holi-2021-date-when-is-holi-history-and-significance-of-festival-of-colours-4428040/">Chhoti Holi</a>, or small Holi, and usually involves a symbolic bonfire. The second day is when people of all ages wear white and throw colorful powder at one another.Last year, Holi fell right before the coronavirus was officially declared a global pandemic. But this year, massive crowds of people are celebrating even as India grapples with another spike.Aligarh resident Manpreet Singh said said it was important for the people to come outside this year to celebrate Holi."People were suffocated in their houses," Singh said. "Finally, a festival has arrived, and people have exited their homes and are celebrating it."Still, cases are rising. India reported over <a href="https://www.mohfw.gov.in/">68,000</a> new coronavirus infections on March 28 - the highest single day rise so far this year - taking the nationwide tally well over <a href="https://www.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/bda7594740fd40299423467b48e9ecf6">11 million</a>. So far, about <a href="https://www.dnaindia.com/india/report-holi-2021-states-and-uts-that-have-banned-celebrations-full-list-here-2883141">a dozen</a> Indian states and territories have banned Holi celebrations. <div type="image" title="Bright red gulal is blended" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764100" hostid="261"></div>"COVID has impacted all the industries all over the world. Moreover, our business is a seasonal business," Manu said.Sales here declined by almost 10% last year. But the company has hopes for high returns in 2021."We hope that this pandemic ends soon and people can enjoy Holi as it is meant to be," Ratan said.

How a small company in India produces over 2,000 tons of colorful Holi powder each year

By Fakir Hassen Johannesburg, Apr 25 () South Africa President Cyril Ramaphosa has encouraged millions of Muslims in Africa, who are commemorating Ramzan amid the coronavirus pandemic with unprecedented bans on family gatherings and mass prayers in mosques, to take courage and strength from the message of the holy month. Muslims across Africa have lauded Ramaphosa for sharing a message of hope in his capacity as current chair of the African Union. "The crescent moon has risen over our continent, Africa. And the sacred month of Ramzan has begun. On behalf of the African Union, I wish our Muslim brothers and sisters well during this holy month," the president said. He said Ramzan is a time for reflecting on the values of humility, simplicity, sacrifice and solidarity. To stop the spread of the coronavirus pandemic, Muslim-majority countries have imposed widespread restrictions, with many cancelling Friday prayers and shuttering holy sites. Saudi Arabia has largely locked down Mecca and Medina and halted the year-round umrah pilgrimage. "Sadly, Ramzan this year will not be as it was last year. We are in the shadow of a global public health emergency. The coronavirus pandemic has left no area of the world untouched," he said. Ramaphosa said a number of countries have imposed measures to contain the spread of the virus. "(This) means that many of the Ramzan traditions like praying at the mosque, making the Umrah pilgrimage (to Makkah) and visiting family and friends are not taking place," he said. "If we are to prevail against this pandemic, we have to stand united and observe the provisions that are in place to safeguard our health and the health of others. "At a time where millions face hunger, destitution and misery, the charitable acts performed during Ramzan are more solely needed than ever. It will be a long and difficult road to restore our society," he said. Ramaphosa said the Ramzan spirit of giving and of charity will continue to be needed for a long time to come. "As Africans, we will emerge from this hardship with a new consciousness. We will understand, and perhaps as never before, our great duty to help and support those less fortunate than ourselves will be enhanced," he said. "May this blessed month, be a time in which we strengthen the bonds of solidarity that exist between us as Africans," Ramaphosa concluded. FH PMS

Ramaphosa asks Muslims to take courage, strength from Ramzan amid coronavirus pandemic

<ul><li>Despite the Coronavirus fear reigning supreme in a lot of people's minds and the economic slowdown, Indian brands’ excitement for Holi remains unshaken. </li><li>Leaders of different categories like Surf Excel, Facebook, Nykaa, Fanta, and Google to name a few, came forward to celebrate Holi in newer ways this year. </li></ul>Holi brings with it a yearning for home, for spending time with your loved ones and of course, memories of simpler times when the day would not be complete without gulaal and water balloons. It is not just about the colours, it is also about being with your loved ones, forgetting your differences and celebrating a day of similarities together. As the famous song from Sholay goes ‘All unite on Holi.’ Brands also do not leave any stone unturned to remind their consumers that they are a part of their big family. Whether it is about celebrating the happiness around our country, washing away old stains of differences, or spreading social awareness, brands have touched different hues of India this time, too. They have put their best foot forward and reminded the country that Holi is a festival of neutrality and positivity, which breaks the cultural differences. With Coronavirus’ fear mounting in India, not many are in the mood to celebrate. The excitement that this joyous festival brings has diminished. However, many brands have stepped up to remind consumers to be happy, prioritise their safety, celebrate Holi without water or by tapping into live streams. Here are a few campaigns that stood out: Surf Excel’s #RangAccheHain This time, Surf Excel aims to resolve the family clashes and encourages us to see the world through the eyes of little kids. Differences start clouding our vision as we grow older. This Holi, Surf Excel’s #RangAccheHain celebrates this spirit of togetherness and reminds us how a heart full of goodness and a fist full of colours can bring us closer. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="ImojBhmmhSA" title="Surf Excel Holi 2020 | #RangAchheHain" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ImojBhmmhSA/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Nykaa’s #ColorMeFree Nykaa celebrated International Women’s Day and Holi together by encouraging women of all colours to embrace themselves. "Itni saavli hai - shaadi kaisi hogi?" "She's so pretty, for a dark girl." "Dhoop me mat raho, kaali ho jaaogi." We've all experienced these prejudices in our lives. Alas, more often that not, from our families and friends. While half of our population is darker-skinned than the rest, the unhealthy fair-skin obsession in India is real and damaging. This is what Nykaa and rapper Dee MC of Gully Boy fame mirror together in a powerful video called 'Rang.' 

 
 <div type="Youtube" id="siTfcHQ888Y" title="Rang ft. Dee MC | Official Music Video | Celebrating Women of Colour | Women's Day | Nykaa" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/siTfcHQ888Y/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Google’s Colourful Digital Activity Google has helped people sitting behind computer screens on Holi to break the monotony and smile together. Google’s latest Easter Egg lets you go wild, colour your screens into different hues and unleash the kid inside you who loved using Paint on your desktops. 
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="GoogleIndia" handlename="Google India" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1046660453970202625/q_urJHzt_normal.jpg" favoritecount="834" retweetcount="158" status="🔴Step 1: Go to the Google search app. 🟣Step 2: Type ‘Holi’. 🟢Step 3: Tap on the coloured powder bowls. 🔵Step 4: Sta… https://t.co/cSyV2ogdP1" createdat="1583737078000" id="1236909075494916098"></div>





 Facebook’s More Together Facebook’s ‘More Together’ showcases how people across the country can do more by coming together, harnessing the power of their connections on the platform. The campaign marks many firsts for the company. India is the first country in the Asia Pacific region where such a campaign is being rolled out. It is also the first time Facebook has rolled out a high decibel campaign of this stature in India. It is themed around Holi and personifies the ‘More Together’ campaign, as it shows young people across geographies sharing the festive spirit, using the power of their connections built on the Facebook app. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="1PjfIIFEf_M" title="Facebook: 'Holi' - More Together" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1PjfIIFEf_M/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Livpure’s #BinaPaaniHoliManani Playing Holi with water isn't so much fun when it causes so much water waste. Livpure aims to put an end to this wasteful aspect of one of the most loved festivals of India. Their new Holi campaign #BinaPaaniHoliManani seeks to create awareness around the rampant use of water balloons, which contributes greatly to water wastage during Holi. The digital film uses kids, who face the major brunt of this problem, to make a statement against using water balloons. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="ocy6fGHJbBQ" title="#BinaPaaniHoliManaani - Celebrating Holi with Livpure" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ocy6fGHJbBQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Fbb’s #BuraNaKhelo fbb is voicing a strong point of view on the occasion of Holi and Women’s Day to stand-up against the bad-touch many women experience during this festival. Voicing out every women’s opinion, fbb and DDB Mudra Group, have created a film featuring Mithila Palker narrating the inner feelings of all women. The campaign urges men and women to join hands with Mithila and create awareness to ensure that women are respected and made to feel safe in all circumstances. fbb is also giving out stickers at its stores to all its customers to help create more awareness about this initiative. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="tIyzxPPj3gM" title="#BuraNaKhelo" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tIyzxPPj3gM/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 MP Birla Cement’s #HappyHoli Based on a poem by noted radio presenter Neelesh Mishra that narrates a spouse’s longing for the presence of their significant other, Birla Cement’s film plays allegorical homage to the love and longing that Krishna bore for Radha. The narrative is at once playful and passionate, describing the many festivities that the celebration of Holi entails interspersed with the yearning of a wife to see her returning husband. Filled with several realistic interactions that are typical to Holi, the underlying message comes through subtly but surely: just as the gulaal colours our clothes and faces, it is those who are dear to us that colour our lives. Every individual in our family and circles adds a different hue to our journeys, some dark and some light, but it is these relationships that build us and make us who we are. They instill in us strength, integrity and stability, which are qualities that MP Birla Cement also aspires to possess. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="1eBvontEkzE" title="#HappyHoli!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1eBvontEkzE/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Fanta’s #NoBahanaHoli ‘Khelo Fanta Wali #NoBahanaHoli” campaign, in a playful manner, reiterates the brand’s core promise of being the best companion for uninhibited playful fun this Holi. The campaign reinforces how Fanta’s bold orangey taste helps teens to unlock their playful selves, enabling them to shed their inhibitions. Teens today seem to face a lot of peer pressure and as a result go through painstaking effort to protect their curated personas, which can get in the way of maximising their enjoyment during festivals like Holi. Fanta reminds teens that its okay to let fun just be fun and that there's nothing wrong in just enjoying the moment to the fullest. In the two videos, Fanta’s brand ambassador Sara Ali Khan invites teens to shed their excuses and play their #NoBahanaHoli. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="Cujs3uYGFOg" title="FANTA_NO_BAHANA_SELFIE_18sec-2.mov" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cujs3uYGFOg/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





 Max Fashion’s #MaxWaliApnoHoli Max Fashion’s campaign spins around how colours of Max bring people together during Holi, irrespective of whether they like playing with colours or not. Capturing the affectionate moments between siblings, the campaign revolves around a family of five rejoicing in the celebrations of Holi. The film focuses on the youngest member of the family who is running away from his sisters with a fear of getting coloured by them. A colourful twist is further added to their playful bond when the sisters gift their brother trendy outfits instead of soaking him in multi-colours. Through this film, Max celebrates the true spirit of Holi by celebrating togetherness and spreading happiness with their stance – #HoliApnoWali. The film has been conceptualized by Lighstream, the branded content studio owned by Rainshine Entertainment. 
 
 <div type="Youtube" id="qe2oCk1cd9s" title="#MaxHoliApnoWali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qe2oCk1cd9s/mqdefault.jpg"></div>

Brands celebrate different hues of India this Holi

Jerusalem, Apr 5 (AP) A small group of Franciscan monks and Roman Catholic faithful took to the streets of Jerusalem's Christian Quarter in the Old City Sunday to distribute olive branches after the traditional Palm Sunday procession was cancelled due to restrictions imposed to contain the spread of coronavirus.The march took place as Israel deployed troops to help contain an outbreak in a hard-hit city. Iran, dealing with the worst outbreak in the Mideast, announced plans to allow some businesses to reopen later this month even as the death toll continued to climb. Lebanon, meanwhile, reopened its airport to allow citizens who had been stranded overseas to return home.Palm Sunday celebrations start the Holy Week leading up to Easter. Worshipers traditionally carry palm fronds and olive branches and march from the top of the Mount of Olives into Jerusalem's Old City.While thousands of pilgrims usually participate in the march, this year was limited to a handful of participants. Clerics and faithful went door to door often throwing the branches to Christians looking on from their balconies."This year because of the new situation we are trying to come to all the Christians in our Christian Quarter to bring these branches of olives, the sign of new hope," said the Rev. Sandro Tomasevic, a Catholic clergyman at the Latin Parish of Jerusalem.Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus' entry into Jerusalem and is the start of the church's most solemn week, which includes the Good Friday re-enactment of Jesus' crucifixion and death and his resurrection on Easter.In Israel, more than 8,000 people have contracted the coronavirus and 46 have died. In the West Bank, nearly 200 cases have been reported, including a large outbreak in the biblical town of Bethlehem.The outbreak has forced church officials to close churches to the public and scale back religious observances throughout the week. Archbishop Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the top Catholic clergyman in the Holy Land, held a small, closed service at the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, the site where Christians believe Jesus was crucified and resurrected. (AP) NSA

You Searched For "Holi coronavirus" and got 6 results

Holi goes online as coronavirus fears keep people at home

Prabhjote Gill

Residents in Mumbai, India, burned an effigy depicting the coronavirus as a big, blue demon during Holi celebrations

Melissa Wiley

How a small company in India produces over 2,000 tons of colorful Holi powder each year

Marisa Palmer,Amelia Kosciule…

Ramaphosa asks Muslims to take courage, strength from Ramzan amid coronavirus pandemic

PTI

Brands celebrate different hues of India this Holi

BI India Partner

Jerusalem's Palm Sunday march scaled back due to coronavirus

PTI

Popular Keywords

Buying Guides