Andhra, Telangana governor, CMs celebrate Holi

It was a riot of colours at Raj Bhavan as Andhra Pradesh and Telangana Governor E.S.L. Narasimhan and his wife celebrated Holi on Friday amid much fanfare.

The governor and his wife Vimala Narasimhan applied colours on each other and also played Holi with visitors at Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the governor.

Gaiety marked the occasion as a jovial Narasimhan was seen greeting every visitor with gulaal. The visitors included Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Union Minister of State for Labour Bandaru Dattatreya, Telangana Chief Secretary Rajiv Sharma and Anti-Corruption Bureau (ACB) Director General A.K. Khan.

Vimala Narasimhan was even seen dancing with a group of women. Leaders of some political parties, eminent personalities, senior citizens and students also joined the governor couple in the celebrations.

The governor greeted people on the occasion of Holi and expressed his best wishes for the people of both the states.

Chief ministers of Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also celebrated Holi at their residences here on Friday.

Leaders and workers of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and tribal women greeted Chandrababu Naidu and played Holi with him at his residence. Wearing headgear like a tribal, Naidu danced briefly with the group of Lambadi women.

Naidu extended his warm greetings and good wishes to the citizens.

He said that that the festival of colours should bring happiness and joy into everyone's lives and fill it with colours. "I hope that your lives are as colourful as the festival of colours," he said.

"May this festival bless us all with peace, prosperity and happiness," the TDP chief added.

Telangana Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao played Holi with his family members at his house. His son and state minister K. T. Rama Rao, daughter K. Kavita, who is a Member of Parliament, and other family members joined the celebrations.

Telangana state minister T. Srinivas Yadav celebrated the festival of colours with people in Sanathnagar here.

In Andhra Pradesh, Union Civil Aviation Minister Ashok Gajapati Raju played Holi in a traditional manner with his family members, friends and supporters in Vijayanagaram.

The first Holi after bifurcation of Andhra Pradesh, was celebrated with gaiety and fanfare in both the states.

People broke into celebrations since early morning. Groups of youngsters were seen playing with colours at Tank Bund on the banks of Hussain Sagar lake in Hyderabad.

Students had a fun time at Osmania University campus, celebrating Holi in the traditional Telangana style with song and dance.

Neighbourhoods came alive with men, women and children joining the celebrations. Irrespective of age, they sprinkled gulaal and water colours at each other.

Young men and women in large numbers participated in Holi parties organized at hotels, restaurants and clubs across the city.