In Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh, the two-day Masaan, or crematorium, Holi along the banks of the Ganges river attracts thousands of visitors from across India and beyond. During this unique celebration, devotees and ascetics apply ashes from funeral pyres to each other's faces, honouring both the cycle of death and the Hindu god Shiva.

Millions of people in South Asia are celebrating Holi, the Hindu festival of colors, by smearing each other with brightly colored powder, dancing to festive music and feasting on traditional sweets pr