MUMBAI: Holi, the festival of colours, was celebrated across the metropolis and the adjoining Thane district with much fanfare and gaiety.

Children and old alike celebrated the festival by spraying water and smearing faces of their friends and close ones with various hues of colours.

As lunar eclipse coincided with the festival on Sunday, people from the across the city lit bonfires on Friday itself. The community of fisher-folk called Koli celebrated the festival by making merry, dancing and singing 'Holi re Holi, purnachi poli'.

Puran poli is a special sweet prepared on this festive occasion. Mumbai police is maintaining high vigil in the city to avert any untoward incident as things sometimes escalate into hooliganism.