8 Places to Experience the Brightest Colours of Holi Festival

Holi is one of the most colourful and vibrant festivals of India. Celebrated with great zeal and fervour all across India, the festival marks the end of winters and celebrates the arrival of spring. Linked with the mythological tale of Prahlad-Hrinyakashyap, Holi reminds us of the message of victory of Good over Evil. Also, the festival has a great association with mischievous stories of Radha and Krishna. Accompanied with dhol-dhamaka, rain dance parties and mouth-watering food like gol-gappas, dahi bhallas and gujiyas; Holi is one festival that makes you forget all worries and get soaked in the mood of fun and enjoyment. The brightest colours of Holi in India can be experienced in some of the following undermentioned ways.

Engross in the spectacle of ‘Lathmar Holi’ in Barsana

Holi is one festival, which has always been associated with the naughty playfulness of Lord Krishna and his beloved, Radha. ‘Barsana’, the home town of Radha Rani near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, is the most famous destination where this colourful festival is celebrated in a unique style wherein the women of Barsana hit men of ‘Nandgaon’ village with sticks or lathis in a mischievous way. The legend has it that Krishna with his friends used to visit Barsana to play Holi with Radha; offended by Krishna’s act of teasing, he and his friends used to be chased away by the gopis of Barsana village. Since then the festival is known as the ‘Lathmar Holi’ and is celebrated with great pomp and show. The festival starts a week before actual day of Holi with a ceremony at the ‘Radha Rani Temple’ in Barsana. Men fully equipped with colours and shields from Nandgaon visit Barsana to tease and colour the women, who in turn, greet these playful men with wooden sticks. Truly a hilarious and ecstatic sight, special arrangements are made by the tourism department for tourists and visitors to enjoy the spectacle of this grand celebration.

Get awed with the devout madness of pilgrims in Vrindavan

Another must-visit destination to soak your spirits in true colours of Holi, is the town of Vrindavan that has long been associated with the childhood of Lord Krishna. ‘Banke Bihari Temple’ plays the grand host to the week-long celebrations. Lord Krishna is dressed in white and devotees gather at the temple to play Holi with the lord. Priests sprinkle colours on the pilgrims as they completely loosen themselves in the spirits of devoutness and dance to the tunes of devotional songs throwing colours at each other. Another interesting place in Vrindavan to get a glimpse of devout madness of people during Holi festivities is the famous ‘Gulal Kund’ near Govardhan Hill where locals enact the scenes of Holi associated with the legends of Radha and Krishna.

Get drenched in Gulal in Mathura

Holi at Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, has its own magical charm. Lots of tourists and pilgrims visit the city during Holi to get soaked in the celebrations of this vibrant festival and to pay homage to Lord Krishna. A huge Holi procession starts at the ‘Vishram Ghat’ and continues till the ‘Holi Gate’ a day before Holi. Every single human being comes out in the streets to get drenched in gulal and other myriad colours during the procession. On the actual day of Holi, the ‘Dwarkadheesh Temple’ comes to life as priests prepare bhang, play dhols and spray colours on the crowd gathered outside the temple. The atmosphere is full of fun-frolic and merry making.

Be part of Royal ‘Holika Dahan’ in Udaipur

One of the safest places for Holi celebrations in India is the romantic city of Udaipur in Rajasthan. Best part of Holi celebrations in Udaipur is witnessing the Royal family of Mewar performing the religious rituals at the ‘City Palace’, which comes alive with lighting of the holy pyre marking the occasion of ‘Holika Dahan’, a night before Holi. Cultural dances performances after the Holika Dahan are another visual treat to eyes. Next day is full of fun and excitement with alleys and streets splashed in different hues. Kids can be seen spraying colours with pichkaris or throwing water balloons on the people. Even women can safely go out and play in groups. Incidents of people getting drunk and acting as hooligans are much rare in Udaipur as compared to other cities of Northern India including Mathura, Vrindavan and Varanasi.

Welcome spring in the most elegant way at Shantiniketan in West Bengal

Holi is celebrated as a commemoration of ‘Spring Festival’ in Bengal. Started by the renowned poet, Rabindranath Tagore, the festival marks an ode to this legendary Noble Laureate with students and faculty dressed in colourful attires dancing on the folk tunes of his prominent poems and songs. The festival of Holi here is celebrated in the most elegant way with people colouring each other only lightly with dry colour powders.

Get carried away with the colourful celebrations in Varanasi

The city of Lord Shiva, Varanasi is a place where Holi is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm. Ghats and narrow streets of the city are flooded with crowds soaked in countless hues of red, blue and green. The fun and excitement of Holi gets double fold when you are in the sacred city of Varanasi. You can see young boys chasing and colouring everyone and anyone they met on the streets. Tone of mischief and laughter can be heard all around. People can be seen gorging on the bhang mixed Thandai, Pakoras and Laddoos and then behaving in hysterical ways; the sight of which is really hilarious. Though it is fun to enjoy the colours of Holi in Varanasi but you also need to be cautious as scene can sometimes even get dirty. So, it’s always better to watch the celebrations from a distance like a rooftop and play with only the known and trusted ones.

Be part of a Holi dance party in Delhi

Dancing, feasting and merry making are few words that can be completely associated with Holi celebrations in Delhi. You will start hearing the noise of kids splashing each other with buckets of wet colours early in the morning. People will come out in groups and visit every house in their locality to wish ‘Happy Holi’. Dance parties are organized in various pockets of Delhi where people can colour each other and also enjoy snacks and drinks. The ‘Holi Cow Festival’ is one of the great places to have a fun-filled Holi with DJs, street food and colours available to celebrate the occasion in style. Holi celebrations in Delhi mostly get over by afternoon and people enjoying community lunches organized in their respective areas is a common sight.

Experience the craziest Holi celebration in Mumbai

Mumbai is one place where you can experience the craziest and wackiest Holi celebrations. A Holi party is a must visit to have a glimpse of Holi madness in Mumbai. With pools of coloured waters, rain dances, unlimited booze and DJs playing on the tunes of famous ‘Rang Barse Bheege Chunar Wali’, the atmosphere really gets wild. For a sober experience, you can enjoy the festivities in one of the ISKCON temples in the city.

Though Holi is all about enjoyment and fun but, it is always to be as sober as possible while playing. Make sure you wear apt clothes and opt for usage of herbal colours. Also, go easy on alcohol and bhang. Respect the feelings and sensitivity of others who do not wish to play.