In 2015 in Varanasi, India, traditions were seen as a way of passing down patterns of behavior and beliefs that have proven successful in living together as a community. They also help to prevent repeating past mistakes and preserve the values of a simple life.

One of the oldest traditions in India was to celebrate the days following the burning of the Holika Dahan by throwing herbal colors with healing properties at each other. While the festival has become a commercialized mass event without much meaning in many cities in Europe, it has also lost its original significance for some young people in India, who now use it as an opportunity to show off their intoxication.