On March 7th and 8th, 2023, the Holi festival will take place, and everyone will be covered in colours. But if you are tired of the regular Holi celebrations in your city or town, you can go to Mathura, Vrindavan, or Barsana to see the biggest Holi celebrations in the world. Continue reading to learn more:
Origin
Lord Krishna grew up in the area of Braj, which is made up of the three cities of Mathura, Vrindavan, and Barsana. The young boy was envious of Radha's fair skin because he was dark. Yashoda, his foster mother, told him to put gulal on his face and have Radha do the same, so that they wouldn't look different. In the area, this was the start of the tradition of celebrating Holi.
How to make travel plans
Holi celebrations in Braj last about a week, so it's best to have plenty of time on hand to have the best time. The celebrations begin in Barsana and Nandgaon, then continue in Vrindavan, and end in Mathura.
Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon
This is where the partying starts the earliest, usually a week before the actual day. Men from Nandgaon come to Barsana to paint women with colours. In return, the women hit the men with sticks or lathis (playfully, of course). This is the famous Barsana Lath Maar Holi, which you might not want to miss. The Lath Maar Holi is played in Nandgaon a day after the celebrations in Barsana, but this time the women go to see the men.
Holi in Vrindavan
From Nandgaon and Barsana, the celebrations move to Vrindavan, which is where they get the most crazy. In Vrindavan, Phoolon Wali Holi is celebrated on the day of Holika Dahan, which is Ekadashi on the Hindu lunar calendar. Around 4 p.m., the gates of the revered Banke Bihari Temple open to let a crowd of people in. For 20–25 minutes, priests throw different kinds of flowers at the crowd.
On Holi, the biggest celebrations take place at the Banke Bihari Temple. This is the kind of Holi that everyone is used to, where people throw and smear gulal and coloured water at each other. During Holi celebrations, Bhajans and other spiritual songs are played at full volume all over the city.
The Widows' Holi is another event worth seeing in the town. Widows in Hindu culture are often forced to wear plain white clothes and stay away from parties. But about two or three years ago, a group of widows at Pagal Baba Widow Ashram broke all the rules by taking part in the Holi celebrations. Since then, the celebrations have grown, and now every year, widows gather at Gopinath Temple to play Holi. The temple's gates open at noon, so you must come here before going to Phoolon Wali Holi.
Holi in Mathura
When the celebrations in Vrindavan end at 2:00 pm, everyone goes to Mathura. From Vishram Ghat to Holi Gate, children dressed as Radha and Krishna riding on chariots take part in a lively parade through the streets of the town. At 3 p.m., the procession is at its most impressive, so make sure you're there by then.
Holika Dahan happens in the evening after the procession. According to the panchang, huge piles of wood planks and tree branches are made and then set on fire at the right time (the tabloid record wherein the auspicious times for religious events are noted).
On the day of Dhulendi, also called Holi, big parties are held at the Dwarkadhish Temple. But before you go to the temple, you can go to Vishram Ghat to see how bhang is made and maybe even try some. Holi, the festival of colours and gulal, starts at 10 a.m. at the Dwarkadhish Temple.
The party doesn't end here... The next day, they meet at Dauji Temple, which is outside of the city. Here, women rip off men's clothes and beat them with their own torn-up clothes. Even though it sounds bad, it's fun because the beating up is friendly.
Where to stay
In Mathura and Vrindavan, there are a lot of guesthouses, Dharamshalas, and cheap hotels where you can stay. If you look for a room during Holi week, you might not be able to find one.
How to get there
Mathura, Vrindavan, and Barsana are not too hard to get to because cars leave Delhi regularly for these places. You could also rent a taxi and take the trip by yourself. The distance between Delhi and Mathura is 183 km, and it takes about 3 hours and 20 minutes to drive between the two cities on the Yamuna Expressway.
Read more - Bharat Taxi
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