President Ram Nath Kovind and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday extended greetings to countrymen on the auspicious occasion of Holi.

President Kovind who is supposed to undergo a bypass surgery on Tuesday tweeted, "Greetings to all fellow citizens on Holi. The festival of colours, Holi, is a festival of social harmony which brings about joy, delight and hope in the lives of people. May this festival further strengthen the spirit of nationalism which is integral to our cultural diversity".

Meanwhile the Prime Minister tweeted in Hindi, "Wishing you all a very happy Holi. This festival of joy, happiness, laughter and glee should infuse new vigour and new energy into everyone's life".

Holi marks the arrival of spring harvest season across the country and people celebrate by smearing coloured powder and indulging in sweets and savouries. However, this year, public celebrations in most states have been restricted or prohibited due to spike in COVID-19 cases recently.