Holi, also known as the festival of colours, is celebrated with a whole lot of pomp and grandeur all over the country. This year, the festival will be celebrated on March 25. During this time of the year, people smear colours on each other's faces and celebrate the special day with great zeal and fervour. The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil, and the arrival of spring. It is observed with a variety of traditions all over the country, however, in the towns of Nandgaon and Barsana, near Mathura in Uttar Pradesh, a unique practice is observed. The natives of Nandgaon and Barsana mark what's called the 'Lathmar Holi'.
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Lathmar Holi of Barsana is centred around the legend of Radha and Krishna. Men from Krishna's village, Nandgaon, come to Barsana where Radha and her friends live. Women traditionally dress up as Gopis and the men as Gops. The women playfully 'hit' the men with sticks to drive them away and also play with colours.
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The Lathmar Holi celebrations go on for almost a week. During this time, people dance, sing and drench themselves in colour along with an occasional consumption of thandai, a traditional milk drink inseparable from the celebration of Holi.
Lathmar Holi will be celebrated on 24 March in Barsana and 25 March in Nandgaon.
Notably, this year, Holi will be celebrated on March 25, 2024, which is Monday. A day before Holi is celebrated as Holika Dahan, also known as Choti Holi, which is on Sunday, March 25, 2024.
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The festival makes for an extended weekend and gives a chance for people to see the vibrant mix of traditional and contemporary celebrations. Apart from Mathura, here are some of the destinations to celebrate Holi in India:
- Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh: Phoolwalon Ki Holi is played with spring flowers and colours. It is famous at the Bankey Bihari Temple in Vrindavan.
- Anandpur Sahib, Punjab: Holi is celebrated here with Hola Mohalla, a celebration that features martial arts demonstrations and mock fights between Nihang Sikhs and the customary bright colours.
- Udaipur, Rajasthan: The royal celebration hosted at City Palace, where the Udaipur royal family participates in all preparations and functions, is one of the many celebrations, parties, and special events conducted around the city that makes the festival special alongside the colourful sight.
