Nepal is set to be painted all shades of the rainbow in the next few days, as people take to the streets to throw and smear colour on each other, despite viral concerns over Covid-19.

Phagu Purnima or Holi, the festival of colours, is upon the country once more, and will be celebrated in the Kathmandu Valley and the hilly region on Monday and in Tarai on Tuesday.

Though all ages participate in the celebrations, the festival is most dear to children who can be found gathering in the streets, carrying packets of colours, lola (paint-filled plastic packets), and buckets of water--no one is safe from the kaleidoscopic onslaught.

While every year the festival is celebrated with great fervour, this year’s revelry will likely be affected by the fear of the Covid-19 outbreak, as Kathmandu District Administration Office has urged the public to refrain from gathering in large groups. The plea comes as the death toll from the virus, which was first detected in Wuhan, China, has killed more than 3,200 people in 85 countries.

So, for this edition of our once upon a time series, the Post brings you photos of Holi celebrations taken in the 1960s and 70s across Nepal.

(This photo essay is part of our Once Upon a Time series, featuring photographs taken by US Peace Corps volunteers in the 1960s and 70s.

To see more photo essays in the series, visit tkpo.st/eka-deshma)