Prayagraj (Uttar Pradesh)

As the country celebrates Holi and Shab-e-Barat on Friday, Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that this is the beauty of our country that the people celebrate all festivals.

"This is Ek Bharat Shreshtha Bharat. Today is Shab-e-Barat also, the beauty of our country is that we celebrate all festivals," Naqvi told ANI while he was playing colours at his residence in Prayagraj.

Shab-e-Barat, which is also known as the "night of forgiveness," is observed between the 14th and 15th night of the Sha'aban, the eighth month in the Islamic Calendar. This year, the celebration of this auspicious Muslim festival will commence on the evening of March 18 and end on the evening of March 19.

This occasion is celebrated with great fervour all over South Asia, including in India, Pakistan, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Azerbaijan and Turkey and Central Asia including Uzbekistan, Tajikistan, Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan and Kyrgyzstan.

Holi marks the arrival of the spring harvest season in the country. People celebrate it by binging on some lip-smacking sweets, thandai and splash coloured powder, water, and balloons while chanting 'Holi Hai'.