Here are the best places to enjoy a riot of colors this Holi!
Holi is an ancient and popular Indian festival that is celebrated throughout India. This is a spring festival and is known as the festival of colors as well. Holi also celebrates the victory of good over evil. This year Holi is around the corner with a long weekend. Which also means a short trip you can go to various places to have a different Holi experience. In India, the best place to celebrate Holi depends on what type of experience you want. In this country, every state has its own way of celebrating the festival. Here we have the list of best places in India to celebrate Holi:
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Mathura and Vrindavan
Image credits: Aman Agarwal photography
Holi celebrations here start a few days before the festival. The colorful festival in Mathura and Vrindavan are famous around the country. According to historians, the tradition of playing Holi originated from the Leela of Radha-Krishna. That is why in Mathura-the birth place of Krishna, Holi is celebrated with grandeur. A colorful and musical procession takes place in river and temples. The best place to enjoy Holi in Mathura is Dwarkadheesh Temple. Banke Bihari Temple also holds week-long Holi celebrations.
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Barsana
Image credits: Aman Agarwal photography
Barsana is famous for lath maar holi. It is the hometown of Radhaji, where Lord Krishna went to tease her with his friends and women of Barsana chased him away. From then only, laath maar Holi is celebrated in the town. The main celebrations are held in Ladliji temple, devoted to Shri Radha Rani. This Holi is pure unique experience, first-day men come to Barsana to tease women, and in return, women hit them with sticks. The next day, women travel to Nandgaon to play Holi with men.
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Anandpur Sahib
Sikh community celebrates Holi in their style at Anandpur Sahib and calls it Hola Mohalla. Hola is the male version name of holi. In Hola Mohalla Sikhs demonstrate their martial skills in simulated battles. This is a three-day celebration in which mock battles, exhibitions, kirtan, music and poetry competitions take place. Except for colors, you will get to see the demonstration of physical agility.
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Jaipur and Udaipur
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Holi is one of the main festivals celebrated in Rajasthan with great enthusiasm from Royal families. Udaipur and Jaipur are famous for its royal Holi style. The custom of lighting Holika Dahan is performed where Maharana arrives in traditional clothes and he also invites foreign guests and tourists. The next day colorful Holi is played in streets of Udaipur.
In Jaipur, Holi starts with a large parade including elephants, camel horses, and folk dancing. There is a competition between the owners of elephants, for dressing up their animal beautifully. Then colorful Holi is played.
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Shantiniketan, West Bengal
Rabindranath Tagore started the Holi festival (Basanta festival) as the annual festival of Vishwa Bharati University at Shantiniketan. The students dress up in yellow color and perform wonderful folk dances and cultural programs. The celebrations are done one day earlier than Holi day in other states of the country. A huge number of tourists come to witness the celebrations.
Along with these five places, Holi is celebrated all around the country by splashing colors and dancing on dhol beats.
