The story of the god Krishna and his beloved Radha is told in the Bhagavata Purana. Krishna is described as having dark or blue skin. (Vishnu and his human avatars Krishna and Rama are typically depicted with blue faces.) When Krishna asks his foster mother, Yashodha, why his skin is dark while Radha’s is fair, she playfully suggests that Krishna could rub color on Radha’s face. His ensuing playful smearing of color on his lover’s face is said to be the origin of the practice of throwing colors at Holi and symbolizes the playful and loving encounter of god and human.
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