Festival Of Colours: Unique Holi Celebrations For Travellers To Experience In Sangla, Pushkar And Braj

Holi is celebrated with great grandeur across India. Besides the fun and festivities surrounding the festival, where people douse and drench each other with colour and water, Holi also has great significance with Hindu Culture. The name itself is derived after the legend of Holika.

Legend says that King Hiranyakashyap, an egoistic king had declared himself god and demanded his subjects to only worship him. His son, Prahlad, who was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu denied his demands of being worshiped as a god. Hiranyakashyap tried various trick to kill his son, but failed. In anger, he sent his sister Holika, who had the ability to walk in and out of fire unscathed, to kill Prahlad. Holika built a large pyre of fire and sat in the middle with Prahlad in her lap. As the pyre was lit, Prahlad kept chanting Lord Vishnu’s name and came out of it unharmed while Holika was burnt to death. This is celebrated as Holika Dahan, a day prior to Holi where people build a pyre and set it afire to commemorate this event, signifying victory of good over evil.

While Holi is celebrated on a particular day, there are many places in India where the festivities continue for longer durations with paraphernalia decorating the streets long after the festival is over. On the day of Holi, delicacies such as Jalebi, Gujiya and Thandai are served as part of the celebratory feast.

Here are some places for travellers to visit in India to witness unique Holi celebrations

Sangla, Himachal Pradesh

The Holi celebrations in Sangla, Himachal unfold for 4 days where the houses are decorated by the residents, and cultural performances are hosted for entertainment featuring various enactments from the Ramayana. The residents welcome tourists at the gatherings with song and dance performance as visitors and locals alike rejoice in the colours. Prayers and offerings of various foods are also made to the local deities. The worship rituals are performed in the open for all to participate. The place is decorated with lanterns, diyas and beautifully coloured prayer flags.

Pushkar, Rajasthan

Pushkar has a plethora of experiences for the tourists to experience. The celebrations include worshiping gods in various temples, which are decorated with garlands and diyas. Holika Dahan is performed with a huge bonfire along with song and dance a day prior. Music festivals and other cultural festivals are hosted featuring local and outstation performers to showcase their talent, thus offers tourists a wholesome experience with colourful parades in the streets with the accompaniment of loud music bustling throughout the city. Pushkar is a 30-minute drive from Ajmer.

Braj, Uttar Pradesh

Braj located in Uttar Pradesh has various types of Holi traditions, such as Lathmar Holi, Laddu Holi, Holika Dahan and Widow Holi. Braj is a region that comprises three main places related to Lord Krishna and Holi celebrations – Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana. Barasana Holi is famously known as the Lathmar Holi where women beat men with wooden sticks and men shield themselves with shields carved out of wood, while colourful parades and songs of Radha Rani echo throughout the city. The place is decorated with flowers, and the Holi celebration includes chanting Radha Rani ki jai along

with other ceremonies at the Banke Bihari Temple. Raas Leela performances are also staged which are basically dance opera performances depicting Lord Krishna and Radha.

Varanasi, Uttar Pradesh

One can experience Varanasi’s unique Holi celebrations played with Holi ashes after the Mahashamshan Nath’s Aarti ceremony, where Manikarnika Ghat in Banaras echoes with chants of “Har Har Mahadev”. Kashi ki Holi, also known as Masan ki Holi is a tradition followed for decades in Varanasi, where Holi is celebrated without colours on the cremation grounds by the devotees of lord Shiva. Here, Hindu sadhus (saints) gather to play Holi with ashes after the prayers are offered to Lord Shiva.