Folks, embrace yourselves! Bid adieu to February because the most colourful month of the year is right here, and we call it The Holi Month. March is all about colours and this beautiful festival called Holi. This festival celebrates the good over evil and expresses an enduring devotion towards Lord Vishnu. And when Holi arrives, you know that winter is going to turn into spring now. There is a lot of history and several things that you may find about why Holi is such an important festival. But we all know how we look forward to this amazing festival because it brings our favourite people together.
However, unlike every year, instead of celebrating Holi the usual way, how about finding some places to celebrate Holi in India? It will surprise you as to how much can you explore about different part of the country during festivals. From personal experiences, through our own travel notes and a lot of fantastic things to hear from our close friends, here is a list of 6 amazing places to celebrate holi in India.
Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh
Varanasi is known to be a holy ancient city with a lots of stories from the history of faith. I have grown up in this city and I have lived the festivals in Varanasi. We have seen the beauty and mirth of Holi spread across like a thin air of rainbow colours over the city. People begin early in the morning, greeting each other with colours and in the evening everyone gathers to celebrate with potlucks. When you go around the city, all you see is an expanse of colours and flowers on the streets and over the temples. If you want to get a better look, get yourself a boat trip through the ghats and capture the colours.
Mathura and Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh
These two places make it to the top of my list of places to celebrate holi in India because the experience is inexplicable. I was here on a solo trip just to understand what’s the hype really about the whole Holi in mathura and oh boy, it’s one hell of a festival there. Mathura is the birth place of Lord Krishna and Vrindavan is where it spent all his childhood days. I not only saw the locals but a massive number of tourists from across the world. The two best places to experience the madness of holi in Mathura are the Dwarkadheesh Temple and the Banke-Bihari Temple. Going to Mathura and Vrindavan during Holi is a dream trip of many ‘serious’ photographers you might know.
Udaipur, Rajasthan
Since Holi is a national holiday too, you can steal a couple days here and there and get yourself a change by going to Udaipur. Let’s just say, Holi here is sophisticated and elite and you’re not going to be hit by eggs or mud. Go with your family and your loved ones and indulge into the regal royal affair in Udaipur and your Holi sure will turn into class-apart!
Barsana, Uttar Pradesh
As the tale suggests, Barsana was home to Radha who Krishna would go and tease. This became a tradition in Holi and eventually a fun celebratory event called Lath Maar Holi. So men go to Barsana and tease women then women chase men with huge sticks or ‘laathis’ and hit time. Of course, men are allowed to shield themselves. But eventually, women then to go Nandgaon and play Holi with the men there. Interesting eh?
Goa, India
Goa is already the king of festivals, uh, well, music festivals. But Holi here is a big deal. Hindus in villages around celebrate this festival which is a fortnight long celebration. So if you’re looking anything longer and on a larger scale, you know where you could be next this year!
Pushkar, Rajasthan
You want to get drenched in a lot of colour, get high on a lot of bhaang and play Holi like you could have never imagined? If that’s you, Pushkar is where you need to be this Holi. It is ideal to visit with your friends and explore the rhythm thumping rooftops, colour laden streets and a lot of madness going around there. The amount of people you see will be gigantic, but trust me, when you begin blending into the essence of the festival, you’ll feel at home.
Planning to pick up a place this Holi? Trust me, you will not be disappointed.
Have you ever been to any of these places to celebrate Holi in India? Tell us your experience in the comments section below.
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