Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, his predecessor and Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav and BSP leader Mayawati on Thursday greeted people on Holi.
In a message issued from the Gorakhnath temple in Gorakhpur, of which he is the head priest, the Chief Minister said the festival of colour was symbolic of the rich traditions, culture and heritage of the country.
The festival of Holi, he added, gave the message of victory of good over evil.
He directed police and district officials to ensure no untoward incident occurred during the festival, which will be celebrated across the country on Friday.
Governor Ram Naik on Thursday mingled with people from all walks of life, including schoolchildren, bureaucrats, police officials, journalists as Raj Bhavan opened its gates to the people to celebrate the festival.
Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati urged people to play Holi with communal harmony and simplicity.
Akhilesh Yadav said the basic objective of the festival was to promote harmony among various communities and that people should follow that.
State Bharatiya Janata Party chief Mahendra Nath Pandey, Organisational Secretary Sunil Bansal and Health Minister Siddhartha Nath Singh also greeted the people on the occasion.