Holi

Holi, the festival of colors, is one of the most exuberant celebrations in the Hindu calendar and marks the arrival of spring, the end of winter, and the celebration of love and renewal. The festival is observed on the full moon (purnima) of the Hindu lunar month of Phalguna and is associated with multiple legends. The most prominent is the story of the demon king Hiranyakashipu and his sister Holika, who attempted to burn the devout Vishnu-worshipper Prahlada alive but was herself consumed by the flames — an event commemorated by the Holika Dahan bonfire on the eve of Holi. The festival also celebrates the playful love of Lord Krishna and Radha, whose color-throwing games in the village of Barsana and Vrindavan inspired the modern playful tradition of throwing colored powders called gulal.

The festivities begin the evening before Holi with Holika Dahan — a community bonfire around which families gather to perform parikrama and offer grains, coconuts, and prayers for the symbolic burning away of evil. The next morning, called Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi, neighbors and strangers alike take to the streets to throw colored powders and water at one another, accompanied by music, dance, and the sharing of festive foods including gujiya stuffed pastries, mathri, dahi vada, thandai, and bhang lassi. By afternoon, families clean up, change into fresh clothes, and visit relatives and friends to exchange greetings and sweets.

In the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh — including Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, and Nandgaon — Holi is celebrated for over a week with the unique Lathmar Holi at Barsana, where women playfully strike men with bamboo sticks, and the Phoolwali Holi (Holi with flowers) at the Banke Bihari Temple. West Bengal and Odisha celebrate Dol Jatra with processions of Krishna and Radha idols on swinging palanquins. Manipur observes Yaosang for six days. The Sikh community celebrates Hola Mohalla in Anandpur Sahib with martial arts demonstrations called Gatka. Indian diaspora communities in Trinidad, Suriname, Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa observe Phagwa with the same color-throwing exuberance.