10 Best Places To Celebrate Holi In India

Holi also known as the festival of colors is a spring festival celebrated on Falgun Purnima which occurs around the month of March. It is the second most widely celebrated festival of India after Diwali. Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. It is said that Krishna being jealous of Radha’s fair complexion threw colours on her to even the score. This exuberant festival is associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha. This festival also celebrates the victory of good over evil. According to one belief, the festival celebrates the killing of Holika, the sister of Hrinyakashyapu.

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Holi is an amalgamation of hundreds of happy people, great weather, and vibrant colors. Young people around the world are personally exposed to Holi as Indian Student associations organize celebrations at their Universities. It is during this festival that thousands of travelers from around the world flock towards India and enjoy their India Tours.

Backed by the famous legends about Holika Dahan and Radha-Krishna, you cannot exactly say which region of the nation celebrates the best Holi. The best places to celebrate Holi in India really depend on what kind of experience you want to have. See which of these places, with totally different Holi festival celebrations, appeal to you the most.

1. Lathmar Holi, Barsana and Nandgaon

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Barsana is the birthplace of Krishna’s beloved Radha and Nandgaon is Krishna’s birthplace. The women from Barsana beat the men from Nandgaon, who come with the intent of teasing them. The two-day celebrations of Lathmar Holi are a unique experience. In the first day men from Krishna’s village, Nandgaon travels to Barsana to tease the women there. The women chase men and hitting them with sticks, hence the name Lathmar Holi. Men are allowed to protect themselves with shields. The second-day women from Barsana go to Nandgaon to play Holi with men of Nandgaon.

The main celebrations at Barsana, take place at the Ladliji temple, dedicated to Sri Radha Rani. Its unique celebration style is famous over nation wide. It is an old tradition of Barsana and people from other cities and towns come here to witness it.

2. Braj ki Holi, Mathura and Vrindavan

It is believed that Lord Krishna and Radha spent their childhood in the Braj region around Mathura and Vrindavan. There are two kinds of holi played during this season of colours. One happens where people throw buckets full of flowers on one another amidst loud chants of Radhe Radhe. The other one takes place just a day before Holi. On this day, the well-known Krishna Leela or Raas Leela, which is the dramatization of Krishna’s courtship with the beautiful Radha. The temple opens up its doors to all visitors to come and play Holi with the lord himself. On Holi, the best place to catch the throwing of colors in Mathura is Dwarkadheesh Temple.

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Mathura engaged itself in the celebration of Holi festival 40 days before the main day of the Holi festival. The joy and enthusiasm of Holi festival can be seen in the Banke-Bihari Temple in Vrindavan that host a week long Holi celebration ceremonies.

3. Basanta Utsav, Shantiniketan

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The Holi festival is celebrated as Basanta Utsav or Spring Festival in Shantiniketan, West Bengal. This festival was started as an annual event by famous Bengali poet and Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore in his Vishva Bharati University at Shantiniketan.

During this Basant Utsav/ holi students here in Shantiniketan dressed up in different spring colors and organize a huge cultural and musical program along with traditional dances on Tagore’s poems. This is followed by the usual throwing of colors. Basanta Utsav has become a cherished part of Bengali history and culture, and it attracts numerous foreign tourists.

4. Folk Holi, Purulia

A three day Basanta Utsav folk festival takes place in the Purulia district of West Bengal. It runs in the lead up to Holi and on actual day. You'll get to sing and play Holi with the locals, as well as enjoy a wide variety of unique folk art. This includes the remarkable Chau dance, Darbari Jhumur, Natua dance, and songs of West Bengal’s wandering Baul musicians. Villagers organize the festival as a way of helping sustain themselves.

5. Kumaon Ki Holi, Kumaon Region

Holi is special to this region as the celebration begins from the month of Paush or winters here. The culturally rich Kumaon soaks itself into the ambiance of colour and sings to its heart’s content.

The Kumaoni Holi is of three types – Baithaki (sitting), Khadi Holi (standing) and Mahila Holi. In the Baithaki Holi, devotees sing classical ragas to appease Lord Krishna. Mahila Holi is also similar to Baithaki Holi, the only difference being here the gatherings comprise of women only. Khadi Holi refers to the gathering of townspeople who come to sing in unison. The townspeople usually wear a white shirt called a kurta, trousers called churidars, and a cap called Gandhi cap. Often instruments accompany the singing.

Kumauni Holi has characteristics which are very different from Holi celebrations anywhere in the country.

6. Hola Mohalla, Anandpur Sahib

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Hola Mohalla is an annual fair that dates all the way back to 1701, which was first organized by 10^th Sikh Guru Gobind Singh to celebrate holi. Hola is a masculine name of feminine holi, which is celebrated a day after the Hindu festival of Holi.

Instead of throwing colours, Hola Mohalla takes the form of demonstrating martial skills in simulated battles. On this three-day grand festival, mock battles, exhibitions, display of weapons, etc., are held followed by kirtan, music and poetry competitions.

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One of the Best Places to celebrate Holi in India with a different level of energy and passion among peoples. The popularity of this festival may be judged from the fact that out of five Sikh public holidays requested by the Khalsa Diwan, of Lahore in 1889, the Government approved only two - Hola Mahalla and the birth anniversary of Guru Nanak. Hola Mahalla is presently the biggest festival at Anandpur. It will be appropriate here to discuss briefly the town and the participants of this festival.

7. Royal Holi, Jaipur and Udaipur

Every year the Holi festival begins with a massive parade including elaborately decorated elephants, camels, horses, and folk dancing through the streets. The spectacular elephant parade in the city is followed by beauty contests,  tug-of-war between elephants and stunning folk dances. The origins of the elephant component remain unclear, but due to pressure from animal right groups, this parade was canceled after 2012. Instead of parade, A cultural program was held without the elephants.

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Udaipur, the city of lakes celebrates Holi in its own royal style. A day before Holi People in night lights the bonfires and mark the occasion as a day of winning the good over evil. The celebrations stretch for two days. The first day ,there will be a magnificent palace procession from the royal residence to Manek Chowk at the City Palace, including bedecked horses and royal band. Later the traditional sacred fire will be lit and an effigy of Holika burnt.

Started with the burning of Holika, the festival is famous for its celebration in Jagdish Temple in Udaipur. The celebration includes the music and dancing on traditional songs. Streets of the city are filled with people colored in different colors enjoying their time.

8. Shigmostav, Goa

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To Goa goes the credit of lining up the festival of colours in a completely new avatar. Here festival of Holi is celebrated as Shigmostav which is 14 days long festival. The festival honors the homecoming of warriors who had left their homes and families at the end of Dusshera to fight the invaders. Huge dance troupes perform intricate movements of folk dances on the road all through the length of the parade. This aspect of Holi is visible in the number of boats that are part of the Holi parades in Goa.

There are two variants of Shigmo festival: Dhakto Shigmo ("small Shigmo") and Vhadlo Shigmo ("big Shigmo"). Dhakto Shigmo is generally celebrated by farmers, the labour class and the rural population, while Vhadlo Shigmo is of greater consequence and is celebrated by everyone together.

Most of the festivities are mainly concentrated in Panjim, Vasco and Margao. The main Goa Beaches also turn colorful on the day of Holi with the large number of locals & tourists gathering on the shores to play with colors.

9. Musical Holi, Delhi

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Holi tends to be a rowdy affair in Delhi. Being a metro city, an amalgamation of cultures and traditions can be witnessed here. Virtually all aspects of Holi as seen in various states are noticeable in the numerous pockets of Delhi. Water balloons are a major part of Holi celebrations in Delhi, and the preparations for the same begin well in advance. Small children and even adults stock buckets full of water balloons and lob the balloons right on top of passersby.

Delhi also organizes Holi gatherings and parties where one can celebrate the festival with organic colours and within a controlled atmosphere. Feasts, music, dancing and blasting parties are held all over the city to mark the festival of colours.

The Holi cow festival is a festival of music and madness and is held at the outskirts of the city. Here you can be sure of using only non-toxic colors. People drink “Bhaang”, an intoxicating drink made from Cannabis, which is typical to this festival. The music is brought by DJs and bands that perform here. This festival of color, moozik and madness has more than 40 Indian and international performers spread over many stages.

10. Holi in South India, Hampi

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Last but not the least, Hampi also organizes Holi celebration for two days. If you're looking for an exuberant Holi, south India is generally best avoided. As Holi is primarily a north Indian festival, it's quite subdued at most places in the south. But Hampi in Karnataka is a notable exception!

People gather in the streets to splash colors and dancing to the drum beats followed by a nice dip in the river. One of the top heritage sites in India turns colorful on the eve of Holi. Hampi is one of the prime faces of Karnataka Tourism. One of the Best Places to celebrate Holi in India.The foreign tourists actively participate in Holi celebrations along with locals.

Whichever part of India it might be, Holi is perhaps the most equal festival to be a part of. Although the style and rituals of celebrating vary from State to State, the spirit of the festival is constant throughout the world: to spread and enjoy happiness. So what are you waiting for, pack your bags and check out your favorite places to celebrate the festival of colours.