From burning effigies of terrorist Masood Azhar to remembering the 40 CRPF jawans killed in Pulwama, Holi 2019 was marked not only by colourful celebrations but also a determination to maintain peace in the country.

Top leaders and prominent personalities from around the country greeted the nation on Thursday and hoped that the festival of colours will bestow peace and prosperity on everyone’s lives.

President Ram Nath Kovind greeted Indians across the world.

The President said in a tweet, “May this festival bring peace, happiness and prosperity in the lives of all.” Prime Minister Narendra Modi too greeted the country on Holi, tweeting, “This festival of joy and gaiety will strengthen the colour of our unity and goodwill.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi tweeted on the occasion and said: “Greetings to all the countrymen of the Holy Festival of Holi. This festival of joy and Gaiety will further strengthen the colour of our unity and goodwill.”

Congress president Rahul Gandhi also posted a brief message on the social networking website. “I pray to god the festival of Holi makes your life full of colours,” Rahul Gandhi posted on Twitter.

Besides politicians, prominent sport personalities and many Bollywood celebrities including Akshay Kumar, whose film Kesari hits theatres today, greeted the nation with positivity.

Meanwhile, Google celebrated the Hindu spring festival with a colourful doodle that had men playing musical instruments and women playing with colours. As a post-script, the Google Doodle sketched a woman indulging in, presumably, a plate of gujjia.

Coming just weeks after the dastardly Pulwama terror attack, Holi 2019 was a slightly muted affair this year. The Central Reserve Police Force, which lost 40 of its jawans in the February 14 Pulwama suicide bombing, did not celebrate the festival, as it had previously announced.

In Patna, the traditional Holika Dahan (burning of the devil) was carried out with a twist. Residents of Patna’s Kadam Kuan torched effigies of Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar Lashkar-e-Taiba chief Hafiz Saeed last night.

Azhar’s JeM carried out the Pulwama terror attack while Azhar’s LeT masterminded the 26/11 Mumbai terror attack.

Meanwhile, the rest of the country celebrated Holi with the traditional fervor. Holi-related hashtag were among the top Twitter trends as markets remained shut.