India's Holi Festival: A celebration of colors

Holi festival, better known as the Holica is one of the greatest festivals held in India and Nepal. Festive energy is expressed by layer upon layer of colorful powder spray, coupled with loud songs, dances and parades from morning to late night.

FINDING THE FRINGE

Children and teenage boys chase and spray colored powder or liquid upon anybody they come across. No one is off limits, especially elegantly dressed people, who are targeted without mercy. The colored powder spray custom is called Gulal, and together with colored water blasting and bonfires, this is how Hindus celebrate the approach of the fresh spring season. Additional traditional acts are prayer, alcohol consumption and bhang lassi drinking, which is marijuana blended with hot milk.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter, on the last day of the month Phalgan. Phalgan in the Hindu calendar coincides with the period in between mid- February and mid-March.

A ROWDY AFFAIR

Teenage drummer groups march from place to place, sing, dance and drag people into the festivities. Influenced by the alcohol and “hidden from the eyes of the gods” thanks to the colored clouds, women are warned to pay attention and stay away from groups of men. Many intoxicated gangs move together, shout loud ‘Happy Holi’ and attempt to hug everyone, especially young women. Above all, what makes Holi so unique is the boundary removal of the social castes and free crowd mixing. Men and women, young and old, poor and rich and members of different castes are all happily celebrating together.

It is customary to wear white clothing during Holi so that the variety of colors will be distinctly displayed. One way or the other, at the end of the day everyone is covered with colors from head to toe. Therefore, it is recommended to hit the streets with minimal carry on and make sure your more precious belongings are well protected with tightly sealed plastic bags. The Holi experience is worth the effort and it is strongly recommended to have fun and flow with the commotion.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter, on the last day of the month Phalgan. Phalgan in the Hindu calendar coincides with the period in between mid-February and mid-March. Festivities commence on the evening before Holi, with bonfire rituals called Holika Dahan. Large crowds gather around the bonfires and embark on services, glorifying the burning of Holika, the source of evil, and hoping for the elimination of all evil as was done by Vishnu.

WHERE TO CELEBRATE HOLI

The Holi celebration is practiced all over India, Nepal and even in some western countries such as the United Kingdom and the USA. However, it is recommended to experience the celebrations in the northern part of Uttar Pradesh in the villages of Mathura and Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, located about 50 km north of Agra and 145 km southeast of Delhi.

Krishna was born in Mathura and grew up in Vrindavan. That is why the celebrations, parades and happiness in these villages are the greatest and go on for the entire week. In the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon, the festival starts prior to Holi and is unique to these places. It is called Lathmar Holi which means, the act where women beat with sticks.

FESTIVAL DO’S AND DON’TS

Holi 2019 will be held on March 21st, meaning that the bonfire cele brations commence the evening before. The Holi events in Uttar Pradesh State will start a week in advance, at around March 15. Exact schedule and locations will be advertised on the internet; however, there’s a bit of confusion in online advertising. Therefore, it is highly recommended to double check the exact dates with local tourism boards.

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About the author: Dr. Gilad Fiskus is an expert in culture photography around the world. You can check out more of his photos at www.fiskus-photos.com.