Holi in my backyard

Holi is one of the most celebrated festivals in India, but also the most unsafe time for women in the country. In cities and towns, the streets become increasingly unsafe for women during the festive time and parties are restricted to the wealthier sections. Amidst crowds of thousands gathered to celebrate, instances of sexual harassment, molestation and misbehaviour are so common that most families do not let women go out on the streets. Women, children, families and everyone unfit for the mayhem on the streets celebrate by playing Holi on their terraces and verandahs. For safety reasons, me and many girls like me have never celebrated Holi freely. It is a festival dominated by men, like most festivals in the country. This project showed a side of Holi that remains unseen and unspoken about. When one thinks of Holi, images of throngs of people with colours smeared on their faces, dancing, splashing water and having bhang (cannabis drink) come to mind. But that's Holi only for Indian men and tourists. I wanted to depict the other side of Holi because it's the only one most women have known. Images were shot in Varanasi (Benaras), one of the most famous places for Holi.