Hindu festival Holi celebrated with colours across the country but on the occasion a horrific sight was seen in South Asia. In India, Holi looked like Diwali.

As people across the country played Holi with different colours, a village in Rajasthan took the celebration to the next level with bursting of firecrackers and gunfire.

Holi at Menar village, about 45 kilometres from district headquarters of Udaipur has a different history, a befitting reply by the locals to the Mughal army.

The unique Holi is organised in the village in the excitement of the defeat of the Mughal army by the warriors of Menaria Brahmin community about 500 years ago. Hundreds of Brahmin played gunpowder Holi with guns, cannons and iron swords.

Cannons were spewing fire and swords flaunted instead of the traditional 'pitchkaaris' used to sprinkle colours on Holi. The youth of the village who are settled in Dubai, Singapore, London, Australia and the US, reach the village on the occasion of 'Gunpowder Holi' to participate in the unique festival. The entire village was decorated like a bride with colorful lights on the occasion.

All the villagers dressed in the uniforms of former princely soldiers reached the main market of the village to symbolise an “army attack”, carrying guns and swords, challenging the army from different routes in a bid to recreate the village warriors victory over the Mughal army.

Hundreds of villagers fired shells from guns and cannons with billows of smoke and flames of fire rising high in the sky. The rattling sound of cannons and guns could be heard up to 5 kilometres afar.