Indian housewives battered men with bamboo shafts at a Hindu festival.

Footage shows men protecting themselves with shields from a group of women on the streets of Barsana, Uttar Pradesh, on March 8.

A crowd of women wearing colourful saris can be seen marching through the streets to celebrate the arrival of spring.

Lathmar Holi is a unique and playful celebration of Holi, observed in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon in Uttar Pradesh, India. The festival takes place a few days before the main Holi festival and is inspired by a legend from Hindu mythology.

According to tradition, Lord Krishna visited Barsana, the hometown of Radha, and playfully teased her and her friends. In response, the women chased him away with sticks.

This playful act is reenacted during Lathmar Holi, where women from Barsana symbolically 'beat' men from Nandgaon with sticks while the men try to shield themselves.

The event is filled with music, dancing, and the vibrant throwing of coloured powders.