Holi: The Festival of Colour in India

The festival of colours is Holi, it is vibrant and filled with beautiful colours. Holi is considered one of the major festivals in India. It is celebrated in the month of Phalgun on a full moon day according to the Hindu calendar. It marks the end of winter and the arrival of summer in India.

With the onset of spring, northern India gets into the colourful mood of Holi. This festival also denotes celebration due to good harvests and land fertility. This colourful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. This festival is celebrated in a grand style in the city of Mathura and Vrindavan. These are two important cities that are deeply associated with Lord Krishna.

Holi in India is being celebrated all over our country in different forms.  In West Bengal, Holi is celebrated as ‘Dol Jatra’ with singing and dancing. In South India, people worship the God of love, Kamadeva, on Holi. In Uttarakhand: Kumaoni Holi is celebrated with the singing of classical ragas. In Bihar, people traditionally clean their houses and then attend the festival. Holi is a time when Indian households make special sweets such as thandai, Gujiya, Malpua, and Dahi Vada. Hence, sweets are a vital part of this festival. Punjab: Holi in Punjab is very different from Holi in the entire country, which is celebrated by Sikhs in their own style. There, they call it `Hola Mohalla`. Locals shout their hearts out as a tradition.

On this day, they also show their martial arts, especially `kushti`, and celebrate with colours. Delicious halwa, puris, gujias, and malpuas are prepared and served to others. It is definitely one of the finest places to visit during Holi. Mathura: People from all over the world visit Mathura to witness a grand celebration as the city is known to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. People have a lot of fun playing with flowers and colours during the festival here, which lasts for 9 days. In Udaipur: Holi celebrations in Udaipur make the city look royal. People, including members of the royal family, wear traditional Rajasthani clothes and take turns around the bonfire. This signifies the triumph of `good over evil`. There are traditional folk dances and folk songs followed by a lavish dinner and wonderful fireworks. There is no doubt that Udaipur is one of the most popular places to celebrate Holi in India.

The festival of colour gives us an opportunity to reunite with family, friends and dear ones. This festivity brings colours into the life of people when they can take a break from their monotonous life and share joy with loved ones. Everyone plays Holi by chasing each other and throwing bright gulal and coloured water.