A woman in Bhubaneswar, India, grinds brilliant red mineral pigments to powder on a stone pestle for Holi, the Indian festival of color.

During Holi celebrants toss clouds of powdered pigments in shades of indigo, magenta, and saffron to celebrate the passion of Hindu god Krishna for his lover, Radha.

(Photo shot on assignment for, but not published in, “The Quest for Color,” July 1999, National Geographic magazine)