It’s a hit! Women use wooden poles to beat men holding shields in colourful Lathmar Holi celebrations

Hundreds gathered for the Hindu Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh on Tuesday, including the traditional spectacle of the women of the town attempting to hit men with wooden sticks.

Footage shows locals clad in traditional robes, with men sitting on the ground, holding wooden shields over their heads. The women then raised long poles, bringing them down on the protective buffer - and hopefully avoiding injuries.

Residents are also seen dancing and throwing colourful powder into the air.

"Holi is symbol for love for Radha Krishna (masculine and feminine forms of God)," said one participant, Sunita Thakur. "We are prepared earlier for this occasion and [wear] makeup. We feel so happy and it's really a symbol for love."

Lathmar Holi or 'Holi of sticks' is celebrated in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon, also known as 'Radha' and 'Krishna'.

In Indian legend, Lord Krishna, from Nandgaon, is believed to have tried to spray his beloved Radha and her friends with powder, but they managed to drive him and his friends out of Barsana with their sticks - which the annual ceremony recreates..