Experience The Holi Festival In India – Cultural Festival Of Colors

Mar 4, 2023

Last Updated on: Feb 11, 2025

Culture

The beauty of exploring different cultures resides deeps inside the diverse customs, rituals, and festivals. If you are an explorer by heart and have already explored Mexico’s Dia de los Muertos, the Songkran Festival of Thailand, or Japan’s Obon Festival, then I invite you to India and enjoy the Holi Festival.

But what is Holi, though?

In terms of festivals, India has kept the colours and light to itself. While Diwali adorns the country with lights, Holi is all about colours. It is a festival colour and India calls and welcomes you with open arms in celebration of this auspicious event.

If you want to explore India, doing so during the time of Holi could be a great decision. This article should help you experience Holi in India in the best way possible. But first, let me help you learn about Holi Festival in brief.

What Is Holi Festival? The Origin Of The Holi Spirit

Holi is deeply rooted in Indian culture and signifies the destruction of the Demoness named Holika. This celebration signifies the triumph of good over evil. Indians celebrate Holi in the month of Phalguna, which is during March or later in February. According to the Hindu calendar, they celebrate the festival on the day after the full moon.

While Holi is a Hindu festival, it has expanded throughout India. People from different cultures and religions take part in the singing, dancing, and festival of colour. People come out on the streets with coloured powders and through them at each other.

Holi also signifies the throwing away of the worries of the winter and welcoming the spirit of winter. The Holi festival in 2023 is on the 7th and 8th of March. So, if you want to celebrate Holi in India, you have to stay here on these days.

Places To Celebrate Holi Festival In India In 2023:

Holi brings colours, and the colours of the Holi festival bring out the jolly spirits of the Indian people. The festival showcases peak-level colour fights in the northern part of the country. Jaipur and other places of Rajasthan.

If you want to explore the country’s old traditions of the Holi festival, spend your Holi days in Vrindavan, Mathura, and Varanasi. The reals spirit of Holi is visible in the streets and in the local celebrations, so, you can also witness Holi on some unknown streets in India and see people laughing, dancing, and throwing colours at each other.  Here are some great places to spend Holi In India –

The Root Of Holi Festival: Mathura & Vrindavan

The root of Holi and the traditional celebration of the festival holi is still kept alive in Mathura & Vrindavan. This is the best place for a photogenic festival that you can save memories of. The traditional Holi Parades, most importantly, Lathmar Holi, where women chase men and beat them using Lathi (sticks). The men use shields to defend themselves when women beat them.

This is said to be the enactment of Lord Krishna being chased and beaten by his consort Radha, whom Lord Krishna used to tease. The best place to be in Holi in India is, without a doubt, Mathura and Vrindavan if you want to experience the traditional spirit of the festival.

Holi In Varanasi; The Spiritual Celebration Of Holi

Varanasi people have a two-days celebration of Holi. Holika Dahan and Holi fights are the two different parts of the celebration. During Holika Dahan, they light a bonfire and play with coloured powders is the celebration of Holi in Varanasi. The Celebration of Holi usually takes place in the ghats (river steps).

Varanasi also has the tradition where people rub ubtan herbal paste on their bodies and pray to god for Good luck.

Royal Holi Celebration In Udaipur

The royal celebration of the Holi Festival in Udaipur unifies royal luxury with the traditional festival. They have a very luxurious setting for Holika Dahan and colour fights in Udaipur. The Mewar royal family perform the rituals of Holi and take the beautifully decorated camels to the Manek Chawk palace for Holika Dahan and the celebration of colours.

Celebrate The Holi Festival In The Pink City Of Jaipur

Jaipur, the pink city of India, is the best place to celebrate the Holi Festival in India. The palaces and the streets of Jaipur are all decked up on the day of Holi. The two days of Holi make the whole city of Jaipur come alive.

The streets and homes are decorated and splashed with colours. This gives you the perfect opportunity to spend this great festival with the locals on the streets of Jaipur. But, if you care for the main attraction – the celebration of Holi at Govind Dev Ji Temple – then you are in for a treat. The celebration here lasts for a week.

Holi Celebration In Delhi

Holi spirit is quite intense in Delhi. You cannot go out in the streets and return without Holi being thrown at you. It is the festival of the people, and Delhi people want to make you a part of it.

Also, you can take part in the Holi Moo paid festival, where you get to experience shows from 40 Indian and International performers. Also, they serve toxin-free colours, street foods, and a lot more.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Here are some queries people usually have regarding spending Holi India. I have answered them so that you don’t have any further issues and queries.

1. Why Is Holi Called The Festival Of Colours?

Ans: The Holi Festival is associated with throwing colours at each other. That is why it is called the festival of colours. However, the legend of Holi is rooted inside ancient Indian mythology.  It is associated with the demon king named King Hiranyakashyap, his son Prahlad and his sister Holika. The traditional Holi starts by burning the effigy of Holika.

2. What Is Special Food For Holi?

Ans: Holi is an occasion of colours. But it is also an occasion for food as well. Some of the common food people usually have on the occasion of Holi are Papri chaat, chana masala, dahi vada, besan papdi, and Puran Poli.

3. What Are 3 Activities Used To Celebrate Holi?

Ans: Here are some different activities to celebrate Holi –

• Toothbrush Painting.
• Make Organic Colors.
• DIY Holi T-shirt.
• Holi Puppet Show.
• Make Holi Sweets.
• Organize a Holi Party.

Happy Holi!

Being an Indian myself, my best way to celebrate Holi is by joining the people on the street on the day of the Holi Festival. I love the number of people has while throwing Abeer (Powder holi) at each other and eating street foods. But, if you want to have the most extravagant experience of Holi, you can check out these places during Holi in India.

I hope that I was any help. But if you need any further answers, just let us know in the comment. We indulge your curiosity, and we are only minutes away.

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Ankita Tripathy loves to write about food and the Hallyu Wave in particular. During her free time, she enjoys looking at the sky or reading books while sipping a cup of hot coffee. Her favourite niches are food, music, lifestyle, travel, and Korean Pop music and drama.

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