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<br /><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.<br />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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />
	


<strong><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>
<br />Participating in the biggest Holi celebrations across India<br /></strong>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> <br /><br />
	<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>


<br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Getting everyone together<br /></strong>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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />
	<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>



<br />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.<br /><br /><strong>Multiplayer-gaming<br /></strong>PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG) Mobile is celebrating Holi in its own way. Players can earn items in-game by collecting <em>gulal. </em>The more tasks you complete, the more <em>gulal</em> you have in your kitty, and the more items you can redeem — including outfits, Holi-themed skin for you DP28, and a <em>gulal </em>trail as you jump from the plane.<br /><br /><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>

<br />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.<br /><br /><strong>See also:<br /><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><br /><br /><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><br /><br /><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><br /></strong>

Holi goes online as coronavirus fears keep people at home

<strong><br /></strong><ul><li><strong><keyword id="6354477" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Narendra-Modi">Narendra Modi</keyword> cancelled his Holi Milan event to avoid public gatherings amid <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="coronavirus">Coronavirus</keyword>.<br /><br /></strong></li><li><strong>India has two coronavirus infected patients, the government informed. <br /><br /></strong></li><li><strong>The pandemic has spread over 65 countries now and has infected more than 88,000 people.</strong></li></ul>As Coronavirus fear grips the national capital, Prime Minister Narendra Modi cancelled his plans to host a <em>Holi Milan </em>event. <br /><br />“Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus. Hence, this year I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan programme,” he tweeted. <br />
	
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="narendramodi" handlename="Narendra Modi" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1134082549041393672/QbihPzrL_normal.png" favoritecount="23304" retweetcount="5279" status="Experts across the world have advised to reduce mass gatherings to avoid the spread of COVID-19 Novel Coronavirus.… https://t.co/ItCl1V8NlZ" createdat="1583301794000" id="1235083359501430789"></div>







<br />“Holi is a very important festival for we Indians but in the wake of Coronavirus, I have decided not to participate in any Holi Milan celebration this year. I also appeal everyone to avoid public gatherings and take a good care of yourself &amp; your family,” Union Home Minister Amit Shah tweeted. <br /><br />
	
	<div type="twitter" handle="AmitShah" handlename="Amit Shah" image="http://pbs.twimg.com/profile_images/1180491411172413440/AunoqDQW_normal.jpg" favoritecount="12464" retweetcount="2742" status="Holi is a very important festival for we Indians but in the wake of Coronavirus, i have decided not to participate… https://t.co/vtGFZzaCSR" createdat="1583307147000" id="1235105813418479616"></div>





<br />Yesterday, a Noida-<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/coronavirus-scare-forces-a-noida-school-to-shut-down/articleshow/74452435.cms">based </a>school was forced to shut down for three days after the person who tested positive in Delhi on March 2, attended a birthday party last week, where his children, along with their schoolmates, were present. <br /><br />The school also cancelled all examinations till further orders. After collecting the samples of students, the medical authorities sent at least 40 students of the school to a 28-day quarantine, the chief medical officer, Gautam Buddh Nagar, told <keyword id="105681" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="IANS">IANS</keyword>.<br /><br />A total of five cases of coronavirus have been confirmed in India so far, while three of them have recovered.<br /><br />India currently has two confirmed cases of coronavirus, one in New Delhi and another in Hyderabad. The patient in Delhi had travelled from Italy, while the one from Telangana travelled from <keyword id="6354539" type="LOCATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Dubai">Dubai</keyword>. <br /><br />However, the first tranche of Indians evacuated from Wuhan however tested negative and were all released from a quarantine at Manesar in Haryana, last week. <br /><br />The Health Ministry, in a press conference on March 2, assured all help and urged people to stay vigil. Union Health minister Harsh Vardhan advised people to refrain from non-essential travel to Iran, Korea, China and Singapore. The ministry also released a new travel advisory for international travellers available on their <a href="https://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Consolidated%20Travel%20advisory%20to%20travelers%20Updated%2026-02-2020.pdfhttps://mohfw.gov.in/sites/default/files/Consolidated%20Travel%20advisory%20to%20travelers%20Updated%2026-02-2020.pdf">website</a>.<br /><br />The epidemic has spread over 65 countries now and has so far infected more than 88,000 people, including over 80,000 in China. <br /><br /><em>(With inputs from IANS)</em><br /><br />

Narendra Modi cancels his Holi party amid Coronavirus scare in Delhi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>Father Timothy Pelc, a priest at St. Ambrose Church in Grosse Pointe Park, <keyword id="18877" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Michigan">Michigan</keyword>, used a squirt gun to spray people with holy water during drive-thru blessings. </li><li>The photos were taken on Easter, but Pelc has since inspired a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/gkcprp/psbattle_priest_spraying_holy_water_with_a/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=ios_app&amp;utm_name=iossmfe=iossmf">Reddit Photoshop battle.</a></li><li>"I am stupefied at the attention," Pelc told Insider of the Photoshopped images and reactions to the photos. </li><li>He said he used the squirt gun as a way to continue Easter traditions while also preventing the spread of the novel <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword>. He also wore gloves, a mask, and a face shield. </li><li><a href="https://www.insider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p>A Roman Catholic priest in Michigan used a squirt gun to spray his parishioners with holy water during drive-thru blessings to help promote social distancing during the coronavirus pandemic.</p><p>Father Timothy Pelc, a priest at St. Ambrose Church in Grosse Pointe Park, Michigan, was photographed using the squirt gun on Easter, while he wore a mask, face shield, and protective gloves.</p><p>The pictures have since inspired a <a href="https://www.reddit.com/r/photoshopbattles/comments/gkcprp/psbattle_priest_spraying_holy_water_with_a/?utm_source=share&amp;utm_medium=ios_app&amp;utm_name=iossmfe=iossmf">Reddit Photoshop battle</a> and circulated widely on the internet, and Father Pelc has said he used the squirt gun to continue traditional Easter rituals during the pandemic.</p><p>In a statement to Insider, Pelc said that he consulted his local hospital to see if the squirt gun would be safe, and the facility provided him with the personal protective equipment to perform the blessings.</p><p>He said the Photoshopped images and reactions to the photos started long after Easter, and that he's enjoying the ways the photos have been used.</p><p>"I am stupefied at the attention.  This comes from a guy who won't let his photo be used in his parish paper because it's 'not about me,'" he said.</p><p><a href="https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/olivianiland/priest-water-gun-meme-coronavirus">He told Buzzfeed News</a> that he was worried about the Vatican reacting badly to the photos, but said: "I haven't heard anything yet."</p><p>Pelc said the church has taken the pandemic seriously, and St. Ambrose regularly performs virtual services for its parishioners.</p><p>So far Michigan has seen 51,142 cases of COVID-19, and 4,891 deaths from the virus. The area hit hardest is Detroit, which is right next to Grosse Pointe Park. St. Ambrose is marking every death with a blue ribbon tied to a tree outside their church.</p>Read the original article on <a href="https://www.insider.com/michigan-priest-using-squirt-gun-for-holy-water-blessings-2020-5">Insider</a>

A Michigan priest sprayed holy water on people with a squirt gun for drive-thru blessings

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

<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>

Before and after photos show how coronavirus fears have emptied out some the busiest holy sites

<p class="source"><span>Getty Images/Business Insider</span></p><ul class="summary-list"><li>Millions of people visit Mecca and Medina in Saudia Arabia every year for pilgrimages. The region is central to the faith of 1.8 billion Muslims across the world. </li><li>Saudi Arabia banned visitors amid the new coronavirus outbreak on February 27th.</li><li>The two holiest sites in Mecca and Medina were closed for cleaning on March 5th, but reopened the next day, according to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-saudi-mosque/saudi-arabia-reopens-mecca-medina-holy-sites-after-coronavirus-closure-state-tv-idUSKBN20T0A8">Reuters</a>.</li><li>Another holy site that's been impacted is the Hazrat Masumeh Shrine in Qom, Iran, which is central to the outbreak in the country. Millions of Shiite Muslim pilgrims visit the shrine and city every year. </li><li><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/?hprecirc-bullet">Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories</a>.</li></ul><p><a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-arabia-suspends-travel-to-the-country-amid-coronavirus-outbreak-2020-2">Last week</a>, Saudi Arabia temporarily suspend pilgrimage visits in order to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus. On March 5, they also closed the sites for deep cleaning, but reopened them the next day, according to US News. </p><p>Al-Haram Mosque in Mecca and Al-Masjid al Nabawy in Medina, the two holiest sites in Islam, and central locations to the pilgrimage were closed as a precautionary measure to stop the spread of the new coronavirus. </p><p>Saudi Arabia also suspended Umrah travel, but not the mandatory Hajj which would take place in late July of this year.  </p><p>While Hajj is mandatory and more expensive, Umrah is a voluntary pilgrimage that millions of Muslims elect to do at any time during the year.</p><p>According to the <a href="https://www.middleeasteye.net/discover/umrah-islamic-religious-pilgrimage-explained-mecca-saudi-arabia">Middle East Eye,</a> the voluntary pilgrimage is like a "spiritual quick fix" for those who want to "refresh their faith, seek forgiveness and pray for their needs." </p><p>The country banned visitors on February 27. Photos from that week show how quickly the attraction went from being bustling with people, to entirely empty in a matter of a few days.</p><p>Another holy site impacted by the coronavirus outbreak is in Iran, which has been badly hit by the spread of the virus. </p><p>While the Hazrat Masumeh Shrine in Qom, has not officially been shut down and some still visit, according to the <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-51642926">BBC</a>, satellite images show a stark difference in how many people are visiting. </p><p>Iran has had almost 5,000 COVID-19 cases and a little more than 120 deaths, including some top officials. In fact roughly 8% of the <a href="https://www.businessinsider.com/another-senior-iranian-politician-has-died-of-coronavirus-2020-3">country's parliament</a>is infected. </p><p>Other prominent religious sites in the region have also closed including the Nativity Church in Bethlehem, <a href="https://apnews.com/c57bc457c0c1c02a910c1564d8f76715">the Associated Press reported.</a></p>

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President <keyword id="99719" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="joe-biden" source="Orion">Joe Biden</keyword> tested positive for <keyword id="11893994" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="covid-19" source="Orion">COVID-19</keyword> on Thursday.</li><li>He attended several meetings and traveled to Israel and Saudi Arabia in the days before.</li></ul><p>President Joe Biden was giving speeches, attending meetings, and traveling in the Middle East before his COVID-19 diagnosis on Thursday.</p><p>The president, who's fully vaccinated and twice boosted, is experiencing mild symptoms and isolating at the <keyword id="11896084" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="white-house" source="Orion">White House</keyword>, taking meetings by phone and Zoom, the White House announced. His travel plans have been canceled for at least the next five days. </p><p>Here's a <keyword id="12095997" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="timeline" source="Orion">timeline</keyword> of where Biden was and who he met with on his public calendar in the week before his positive test:</p><h2>Thursday, July 14</h2><p>Biden was on his second day of travel in Israel, where he held a press conference with Prime Minister Yair Lapid. The president also met with Israeli President Isaac Herzog and former Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, along with leaders from India and the United Arab Emirates.</p><p>Several Biden administration officials also traveled to the region with Biden, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken, National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, and a dozen other advisors. </p><div type="image" title="Biden travel" height="3164" width="6329" msid="93036463" hostid="261" sizebytes="944528"></div><h2>Friday, July 15</h2><p>Biden gave a speech at a hospital in East Jerusalem, where he pledged an additional $100 million aimed at helping Palestinian hospitals in the area.</p><p>The president also traveled to the West Bank and met with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas. </p><p>Biden then left for Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, where he met with King Salman bin Abdulaziz and Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman. </p><h3><div type="image" title="Joe Biden; Mohammed bin Salman." height="1362" width="2725" msid="93036465" hostid="261" sizebytes="449950"></div></h3><h2>Saturday, July 16</h2><p>Biden was in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and attended a slew of meetings, inlcuding with the leader of Iraq, Prime Minister Mustafa Al-Kadhimi, president of Egypt, Abdel Fattah el-Sisi, and president of the United Arab Emirates, Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Al Nahyan. </p><p>The president returned to Washington, DC, late Saturday evening. </p><h2>Sunday, July 17</h2><p>Biden attended church at the Holy Trinity Catholic Church in Georgetown, and held no public <keyword id="6385705" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="events" source="Orion">events</keyword>.</p><h2>Monday, July 18</h2><p>Biden held no public events.</p><h2>Tuesday, July 19</h2><p>First lady Jill Biden met with Ukrainian First lady Olena Zelenska at the White House, whom Biden greeted upon her arrival, carrying a bouquet of flowers, according to a pool report. The president held no public events.</p><h2>Wednesday, July 20</h2><div type="image" title="Biden travel" height="3000" width="6000" msid="93036467" hostid="261" sizebytes="399266"></div><p>Biden delivered remarks on climate change and clean energy from Brayton Point Power Station, a power plant in Somerset, Massachusetts. </p><p>He traveled with eight of his White House advisors, along with a group of Massachusetts Democrats, including Sens. Ed Markey and Elizabeth Warren and Reps. Jake Auchincloss and Bill Keating.</p>

Timeline: Where Biden was before his positive COVID-19 test and who he met with

<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><p>Yellow is one of the most popular colors thrown during Holi. Called <em>gulal, </em>the fine powder is made from a mixture of starch and dyes.</p><p>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. </p><p>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>.</p><p>"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. </p><div type="image" title="Employees prepare Holi toys before celebrations begin" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764091" hostid="261"></div><p>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.</p><div type="image" title="Woman helping to process pink gulal powder." height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764093" hostid="261"></div><p>The Cock Brand works with hundreds of colors. Each popular Holi color has at least a dozen hues.</p><p>"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. </p><div type="image" title="Starch is mixed with water during handmade processing" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764094" hostid="261"></div><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><div type="image" title="This process can take a few hours" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764096" hostid="261"></div><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>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. </p><div type="image" title="There are hundreds of different gulal powders" height="1080" width="1440" msid="81764098" hostid="261"></div><p>The tradition of Holi can be traced back to several Hindu legends about Lord Krishna.</p><p>"When Lord Krishna and Radha Rani play Holi with each other, it shows the emotion of love and compassion," Manu said. </p><p>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.</p><p>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.</p><p>Aligarh resident Manpreet Singh said said it was important for the people to come outside this year to celebrate Holi.</p><p>"People were suffocated in their houses," Singh said. "Finally, a festival has arrived, and people have exited their homes and are celebrating it."</p><p>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></p><p>"COVID has impacted all the industries all over the world. Moreover, our business is a seasonal business," Manu said.</p><p>Sales here declined by almost 10% last year. But the company has hopes for high returns in 2021.</p><p>"We hope that this pandemic ends soon and people can enjoy Holi as it is meant to be," Ratan said. </p>

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

<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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />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. <br /><br />Here are a few campaigns that stood out:<br /><br /><strong>Surf Excel’s #RangAccheHain</strong><br /><br />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. <br /><br />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.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="ImojBhmmhSA" title="Surf Excel Holi 2020 | #RangAchheHain" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ImojBhmmhSA/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br /><strong>Nykaa’s #ColorMeFree<br /></strong><br />Nykaa celebrated International Women’s Day and Holi together by encouraging women of all colours to embrace themselves. <br /><br />"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.<br /><br />This is what Nykaa and rapper Dee MC of Gully Boy fame mirror together in a powerful video called 'Rang.' <br /><br />

  
  <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>





<br /><strong>Google’s Colourful Digital Activity</strong><br /><br />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. <br /><br />
	
	<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>





<br /><strong>Facebook’s More Together </strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="1PjfIIFEf_M" title="Facebook: 'Holi' - More Together" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1PjfIIFEf_M/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<strong><br />Livpure’s #BinaPaaniHoliManani</strong><br /><br />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. <br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="ocy6fGHJbBQ" title="#BinaPaaniHoliManaani - Celebrating Holi with Livpure" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/ocy6fGHJbBQ/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br /><strong>Fbb’s #BuraNaKhelo</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="tIyzxPPj3gM" title="#BuraNaKhelo" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/tIyzxPPj3gM/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br /><strong>MP Birla Cement’s #HappyHoli</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="1eBvontEkzE" title="#HappyHoli!" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/1eBvontEkzE/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br /><strong>Fanta’s #NoBahanaHoli<br /></strong><br />‘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.<br /><br />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.<br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="Cujs3uYGFOg" title="FANTA_NO_BAHANA_SELFIE_18sec-2.mov" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/Cujs3uYGFOg/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br /><strong>Max Fashion’s #MaxWaliApnoHoli</strong><br /><br />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.<br /><br />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. <br /><br />
  
  <div type="Youtube" id="qe2oCk1cd9s" title="#MaxHoliApnoWali" thumbUrl="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qe2oCk1cd9s/mqdefault.jpg"></div>





<br />

Brands celebrate different hues of India this Holi

<ul class="summary-list"><li>President <keyword id="99719" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Joe-Biden">Joe Biden</keyword> and first lady <keyword id="191986" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="Jill-Biden">Jill Biden</keyword> wished Americans a happy <keyword id="6363803" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="easter">Easter</keyword> in a video message.</li><li>In the video, the Bidens also urged Americans to get vaccinated against the <keyword id="1754604" type="PERSON" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus">coronavirus</keyword> as soon as they can.</li><li>About 56 million Americans, or 17%, have been fully vaccinated, Johns Hopkins University data.</li></ul><p>In a recorded message, the Bidens wished Americans a happy Easter holiday and urged them to continue to take precautions against the coronavirus. </p><p>President Joe Biden and first lady Jill Biden appeared side by side in the video, and both extended holiday greetings in their joint address.</p><p>"Jill and I want to send you our warmest Easter greetings to you and your family. As we celebrate this most holy day, we know many are still going without familiar comforts of the season," the president said. "The virus is not gone, and so many of us feel the longing and loneliness of distance. For a second year, most will be apart from their families, their friends, full congregations that fill us with joy."</p><p>"Yet as the Gospel of John reminds us, the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it," he added.</p><p>The first lady echoed the president's remarks, adding that she's optimistic about the future of the United States in relation to economic downfalls and medical issues brought on by the coronavirus <keyword id="43587" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="60" keywordseo="pandemic">pandemic</keyword>. </p><p>"Today, as spring returns, we see hope all around us," she said. "Families are getting the financial help they need to take a breath once again. Businesses are recovering and more and more Americans are getting life-saving vaccines." </p><p>The president spoke again after the first lady, encouraging all Americans to get a vaccine against the coronavirus whenever it's available to them.</p><p>"By getting vaccinated and encouraging your congregations and your communities to get vaccinated, we not only can beat this virus, we can also haste the day when we can celebrate the holidays together again," he said. </p><p>Biden referenced Pope Francis in his address, saying he and the first lady "share the sentiments" of Francis who in January referred to the vaccine as an ethical obligation.</p><p>In his own Easter <a href="https://www.wsj.com/articles/pope-francis-in-easter-message-calls-for-better-distribution-of-covid-19-vaccines-11617531494?mod=e2fb">address this weekend</a>, the Pope also suggested that the <keyword id="8624004" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="60" keywordseo="coronavirus-vaccine">coronavirus vaccine</keyword> is a priority, adding that he hopes people around the world experiencing hardship because of the pandemic find relief soon. </p><p>"I urge the entire international community, in a spirit of global responsibility, to commit to overcoming delays in the distribution of vaccines and to facilitate their distribution, especially in the poorest countries," Francis said.</p><p>There have been at least 30 million positive coronavirus cases in the United States, according to data compiled by Johns Hopkins University. More than 554,000 Americans have died from it. So far, about 56 million Americans, or 17%, have been fully vaccinated, according to JHU data. </p><p>The statement from the Bidens directly contrasts the <a href="https://news.yahoo.com/trump-wishes-happy-easter-radical-163740672.html">one put out by former President Donald Trump</a>. </p><p>"Happy Easter to ALL, including the Radical Left CRAZIES who rigged our Presidential Election, and want to destroy our Country!" Trump said on Sunday.</p><p><em>Have a news tip? Contact this reporter at <a href="mailto:kvlamis@insider.com?inline-read-more">ydzhanova@insider.com</a>.</em></p>

You Searched For "Holi coronavirus" and got 11 results

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Brands celebrate different hues of India this Holi

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