India revels in Holi festivities, Friday prayers held peacefully

New Delhi, Mar 14: Holi was celebrated with pomp and splendour around India on Friday, with people soaking in the festivities by smearing 'gulaal' on each other and exchanging greetings and sweets. Homes and streets wore a colourful look as the revellers splashed colours and feasted on traditional delicacies.

Public transport did not ply in the morning in most major cities while metro services started functioning from noon.

As Holi coincided with the second Friday prayers during the holy Islamic month of Ramzan, security -- including increased patrolling and picketing -- was beefed up in several states. In Delhi, more than 25,000 security personnel were deployed. Police closely monitored about 300 sensitive areas with CCTV cameras and drones.

Traffic and city police personnel set up joint pickets and special teams were deployed at major intersections to check drunk driving and traffic violations. In Uttar Pradesh's Sambhal, which has been tense since riots broke out on November 24 following a survey of the Mughal-era Shahi Jama Masjid, the celebrations passed off peacefully amid tight security.