New Delhi, March 14 -- With the festival of colors set to be celebrated on Friday, people across the country marked 'Holika Dahan' on Thursday evening with bonfire lighting and rituals.

Visuals from West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, Odisha, Bihar, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and several other states showed communities performing the ritual in their unique ways.

In Madhya Pradesh's Sarafa Bazaar, a massive mound of cow dung cakes was set ablaze, with a statue of Holika placed on top. This eco-friendly alternative replaced the traditional burning of wood.

In West Bengal, people were seen circling the fire, carrying long bamboo sticks over their heads while chanting prayers.

Chief ministers of different states and members of...