Mathura, March 23 (PTI) Traditional Lathmar Holi was celebrated with fevour in Mathura's Barsana on Tuesday amid splash of colours and festival songs.

Celebrated a few days before Holi, Lathamar means playing with sticks. In the festival, menfolk try to smear women with colour, who traditionally protect themselves with lathis or sticks.

Singing traditional songs like “Faag Khelan Barsane Aye Hain Natwar Nand Kishor” (Krishna has come to Barsana to play Holi sport), menfolk protected themselves from sticks by using improvised leather shields, a participant said on Tuesday.

It will be repeated on Wednesday with womenfolk from Barsana visiting Nandgaon, a temple priest said.

Earlier, dressed in traditional attire, menfolk from Nandgaon received a warm welcome in Barsana.

Prior to their participation in the celebrations, they paid obeisance at the Ladli temple there.

Meanwhile, SP (Rural) Shrish Chandra said no untoward incident took place on the occasion.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)