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). The festival is celebrated all over India with great fervor and enthusiasm. This festival is celebrated on the full moon day, in the Indian month of Falgun. The day is full of colors, sweets, drinks and joy. Every year, the festival is celebrated with grandeur and joy in every corner of India. But there are some Indian cities where festivals are celebrated on a grand scale. 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.
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. Holi was played in ancient times and the colors used in the festival consisted of natural ingredients and sources that were very beneficial for one’s health. Since spring is the transition period from winter to summer, this natural content helped their body limit seasonal illnesses and diseases. Sources like turmeric, lemons, henna leaves, hibiscus flowers, neem leaves and palashi flowers were used to make the dyes. These mixtures healed the body and were also used to immunize the body’s systems. 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 Pick a few cities in the great country of India where the festival is celebrated grandly and tourists from all over the world join in the celebration of 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. A special Holi called “Lathh-Mar” Holi is celebrated. This special festival is also celebrated in Banaras, the birthplace of Radha. The festival is celebrated in a very unique way where women dress up in colorful dresses veil their faces and beat their partners with clubs (Laathi). 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. A clay pot is also broken in the city and the people there throw water with buckets of boys “Toli” to limit the making of pyramids. The festival is celebrated with immense joy and excitement in this state.
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.