Holi: the Festival of Colours

Feb 24, 2010 6:18:36 AM

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The most boisterous of Hindu festivals, Holi waves goodbye to winter and welcomes in spring in a rainbow of colours. In India it’s predominantly celebrated in the north of the country, and is quite rightly known as the Festival of Colours for the raucous events on Holi’s final day, when children and adults take to the streets throwing colourful gulal (powder) over each other. Dyed water is shot from syringes, thrown from buckets and poured into balloons, which are then tossed at people. It’s sanctioned anarchy and, as a visitor, you’ll be a particular target, so expect to finish the day looking like gulab jamun (a red, sticky Indian sweet).

Authorities urge the use of natural dyes, so they can be easily cleaned off, but you could be a mobile colour chart for days or weeks after.
Though it runs for three days, Holi is mostly condensed into this final mad day. The night before, huge bonfires are lit at major crossroads in towns and cities and effigies of the demon Holika are burned to symbolise the triumph of good over evil. Whether you think good or evil comes up trumps the next day might depend just how much gulal ends up being thrown your way.

There are many prime places to witness huge Holi celebrations. In Udaipur, the royal family hosts an elaborate function at the City Palace, while the Uttar Pradesh towns of Mathura, Nandgaon, Vrindavan and Barsana are linked with the birth and childhood of Krishna, giving them special Holi significance. In Nepal, the festival is also known as Fagu and is a muted mix of India’s Holi and Thailand’s Songkran. Falling late in Nepal’s dry season, at a time when the country is heating up, water is sprayed about as a reminder of the cooling monsoon days to come. As in India, coloured powder and water (particularly red) is also dispensed, and again foreigners will get special attention.

Holi’s origins are little known but references to it have dated back to around the 3rd century BC.

ESSENTIALS If you want a colourless Holi, you’d best stay inside for the day. If not, wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting colour-stained. During Holi there’s a tradition of guzzling alcohol and consuming cannabis-derived bhang. Female visitors have been groped by spaced-out blokes, particularly in touristy areas, and officials advise women to avoid venturing out alone during Holi. Tickets for the royal function in Udaipur can be obtained at the Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel.

LOCATION Throughout northern India and Nepal

DATES Three days around the March full moon

This article is an excerpt from our guide to the world’s parties, A Year of Festivals.

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Comments

27 February 2010 3:11AM sammysenior Report this comment
I was in India last year during Holi festival. I found it way too intimidating and overrated. I had dirty water thrown on me twice, thereby damaging my expensive digital SLR.
Then I crossed the border into Nepal, and the first group that I bumped into gave me a plastic bag to wrap up my camera, asked me to tuck it into my bag. And as soon as I had done that, I was all covered in red vermilion powder.
Holi is celebrated in Nepal, and it feels better somehow. Lonely Planet should be writing about Nepal's Holi too.
3 March 2010 2:04PM jasond1400 Report this comment
Last March during Holi I was in Jaipur. It happened to be the Elephant festival and Holi.
While it may seem intimidating. I purchased a cheap pair of clothes and had the time of my life. I spent the day roaming the city and meeting some great locals and tourist. By the end of the day yes I looked like a rainbow. But those experiences are the things you will remember for the rest of your life.
I would highly recommend to celebrate Holi. Keep your camera and valuables in zip locks.
16 March 2010 6:49AM morphia Report this comment
We were in Delhi for Holi this year. It was chaotic to say the least, but lots of fun. We got covered in dye and soaked to the skin as dumping buckets of water from the upper floors of the narrow alleys also seems to be very popular.
There is a problem with many of the young men trying to grope any female tourist they can as they 'hug' you to wish you happy Holi, but a firm slap seemed to work as a deterent.
6 December 2010 7:38AM gemma_b Report this comment
A number of years ago when I was teaching in Nepal, our walk home from the school on Holi was pretty dreadful. This walk home would normally be no problem but during Holi young men, who are normally very respectful, have an excuse to get close to you. My friend and I (both young women) got groped all the way home by groups of young men. My advice for women is to enjoy Holi away from the crowds as we felt pretty violated by the time we got home!