The Festival of Holi: Places to Visit for Holi Celebration

March is over and the calendar is full of spring festivities! The grand festival of colors “Holi” is also coming this month on 24th March and 25th March 2024 (dates may vary). People across India celebrate this festival with great fervor and enthusiasm. The festival falls on the full moon day of the Indian month of Phalguna. The day is full of colors, sweets, drinks and joy. People across India celebrate the festival with grandeur and joy every year. However, some Indian cities host especially grand celebrations that attract large crowds.

Let’s move to those cities where you don’t just immerse yourself in playing with colorful people to enjoy a different kind of unforgettable Holi experience. People migrate from all over India and return to their homes to celebrate this festival of colors. Indian Railways operates many special trains where e-catering companies deliver food to passengers on the train. Book your tickets in advance. Read More…

Holi Festival History

We all know the popular and legendary story of the great demon king Hiranyakashipu and his revenge against Prahlad and Lord Vishnu. Prahlad was forced to worship Hiranyakashi but he believed that Lord Vishnu was his devotee. Finally, Hiranyakaship along with his sister Holika conspired against Prahlad and decided to kill him by burning him. Devil sister Holika returned and Prahladi was saved by the grace of almighty God.

But scientific facts show that colors are very important for your body and health. The lack of certain pigments affects the body. People celebrated Holi in ancient times using colors made from natural ingredients. These traditional colors also offered several health benefits. Since spring is the transition period from winter to summer, this natural content helped their body limit seasonal illnesses and diseases. People used turmeric, lemons, henna leaves, hibiscus flowers, neem leaves, and palash flowers to make traditional Holi colors. They believed these natural mixtures could support the skin and strengthen the body’s defenses. Thus, the tradition became a legacy and continued till today.

Holi is a traditional celebration celebrated with colors for your loved ones and friends. It is a festival of emotions that makes every person feel happy and joyful. Therefore, the celebration of this festival is imbued with shades of love, faith, care, and affection. A little color can renew your relationship and connect you with the most heartfelt feelings and love. Happy Holi!

Places to Go for Spectacular Holi Festivities

This year, explore a few Indian cities where people celebrate the festival on a grand scale and welcome tourists from around the world to enjoy the vibrant colors.

Mathura and Banaras

A small town in Uttar Pradesh and the birthplace of Lord Krishna is famous for many reasons. Whether you are talking about the specialty of Mathura (Mathura Ke Pede) or Lord Krishna temples, everything is magnificent and stands out from other streets. But the city comes out in its true colors during the Holi festival. People celebrate a special form of Holi called Lathmar Holi. The tradition is especially famous in Barsana and nearby areas. During the celebration, women wear colorful traditional outfits and playfully strike men with sticks called lathis. Men try to save themselves with shelter. After that, we sing and dance. Every year many people come to this place to enjoy the festival.

Vrindavan

Vrindavan is a city in the state of Uttar Pradesh and near Mathura. This city is famous as the place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood with Maiya Yashoda and his elder brother Balram. There were many gopis around Krishna. Since ancient times, Holi has been played with petals here in Vrindavan. Thousands of residents and tourists participate in this festival together. The experience of Holi is truly unforgettable for the people who attend this Flor Holi festival.

Maharashtra

Mataki-Fod Holi is truly an exciting place and a must-see. Professional and well-trained groups of boys, often called “Tolis”, break a pot suspended on a tall thick rope. The boys make inverted pyramids of their bodies to reach the top and smash the pot. There is prize money in the pot smash game. Many groups of boys try to break the pot and win the prize. Such Holi is really exciting to watch.

Shanti-Niketan, West Bengal

You can go to the city of West Bengal to enjoy the festival. Most notably, Holi was celebrated at Shanti-Niketan, the university founded by Ravindra Nath Tagore. Inspired by the spring season, Tagore invoked this festival at Shanti Niketan. The festival is celebrated here with colors, flowers, songs, chants, dance, and poetry by students. Girls and women wear floral ornaments and colorful sarees to display the traditional values ​​of the festival.

Goa

How India’s festive capital can be behind the scenes of Indian Holi. In Goa, this festival is known as “Shigmo”. The festival is accompanied by colors, drinks, and dance in harmony with the cultural heritage of Goa. The festival is celebrated in large groups where they dance to drums and enjoy the festival.

Gujarat

The youth of this state feel really high spiritually during Holi. In the city, people also break a clay pot while groups of people throw water to prevent boys from forming human pyramids. Residents celebrate the festival with immense joy and excitement.

Bihar

Festivals are celebrated with homemade sweets and cuisines like ‘Malpua’, ‘Gujhiya’, and Thandhai or bhang drink. People of Bihar ring Holi with watercolors and Gulal and make Toli and its procession travel to every corner singing Holi songs all around. The traditional “Phagua geet” is most prominent during Bihari Holi. Many cultural events are organized like comedy shows, shyars, and music festivals where traditional local music steals the show. Visit Bihar to witness this special show of fagunis.

Basically, this great day of joy and celebration is observed all over India. You can go to these cities to enjoy a memorable Holi festival in Indian states. Indian Railways also operates special trains for tourists and travelers who need tickets to their home country. This festival is incomplete without sweets and special Holi dishes, so even while traveling you can order these special dishes on the train to make your train journey “Holi special”.

May God bless you with all the colors of life, colors of joy, colors of happiness, colors of friendship, colors of love and all the other colors you want to paint in your life.

Happy Holi!