Holi depicts love, joy, happiness, and new beginnings! And in Uttar Pradesh, you will witness the world walking the lanes and by-lanes of mythology during the festival of Holi. This state prides in having two of the very prominent cities of India — Mathura and Vrindavan – that are strongly associated with Lord Krishna and his childhood days. That is why all the joyful events of his childhood spent at these locations are considered very important and often reminisced in a unique way. Like the Holi celebrations for instance. You’ll find the Holi celebrations in Mathura and Vrindavan taking you back on a time warp. That is why we would suggest you try visiting these locations at least once in your lifetime for your Holi vacations and experience this incredible gala.
With the spectacular ways of celebrating this festival, it is not surprising that this State is the most famous tourist attraction during Holi. Especially the cities of Mathura and Vrindavan. And do you know what is the amazing part of visiting these cities during the Holi celebrations? You can visit many essential pilgrimage centres of India during your stay and feel blessed and spiritually enriched.
You already know that Lord Krishna was born in Mathura. That is why the Sri Krishna Janmasthan Temple was built on this location and is a very prominent pilgrimage centre in the city.
The Dwarkadheesh Temple is also one of the holiest places in Mathura and even one of the most prominent places to visit in this city during Holi. Built back in the eighteenth century, this temple hasn’t seen a day without a rush of eager devotees since then.
One of the very religious places in Mathura and Vrindavan, this Vishram Ghat is an important Ghat near the River Yamuna and kilometres away from Mathura where you can follow the ritual of taking a dip in the river and get yourself cleansed of all your sins.
It is a very prominent pilgrimage centre in Vrindavan and you will see devotees visiting this temple early in the morning and staying back till late in the evening to attend all the religious activities like Aartis and hear the devotional Bhajans.
Holi celebration in Mathura and Vrindavan is totally different from the other parts of the country. Here at Braj (the area consisting of Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon and Barsana), you’ll find the entire city in the riot of colours and everybody from the locals to the tourists, devotees, pilgrims, and even the priest observe Holi in a really joyful manner. In short, no one stays devoid of colours when it’s Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan. But to steep into the local customs, you will have to know how to celebrate it with them. Read all about it below.
During the very first day of Holi celebration, that is around a week before the main Holi festival, you will find the men from Nandgaon visiting Barsana and teasing the women there with colour splashes. This is reminiscing the moments between Lord Krishna and Goddess Radha when he visited this place to play with colours with her. Till today, you will find this tradition alive when the women mimic Goddess Radha and playfully beat the men visiting with a stick — that is why this is named as Lathmar Holi in India.
During the day 2 of Holi celebrations in Braj, you will find the men from Barsana visiting the ladies of Nandgaon and teasing them with splashes of colours. And in return the women from this city beat the men playfully with sticks and they try to defend themselves playfully.
You are going to get a fantastic experience of the most amazing Holi celebration in 2022. Well, during this week full of excitement, the day 3 of Holi at the Banke Bihari Temple will surprise you the most. Here you’ll find the festival celebrated with colourful flowers. Yes, you read it right. The priest of the temple opens the gate at around 4:00 PM in the evening and sprinkles colourful flower petals on the devotees for half an hour. And this is not all — he also sprinkles some coloured water on them as well. So, be there on time to experience this amazing moment.
Sadly, even a few years ago, the widows in these cities weren’t allowed to play Holi. But recently, this has stopped and even they are very much a part of this festival. You’ll find everybody heading towards the Pagal Baba Ashram where these widows have devoted their life to God and smearing each other with beautiful colours.
On the fifth day, you’ll have to be very active if you want to attend the entire buzz happening at Braj this Holi. So, be sure to drive a car rental from Revv and play the most glorious Holi at the Banke Bihari Temple at Vrindavan. From here you can be a part of the very jolly and super excited mob who participate in a cheerful procession and get drenched in colours and Bhang. And by evening, you’ll get to witness the Holika Dahan (the burning of edifice symbolising evil – thereby welcoming the good) at the city squares as well.
On the actual day of Holi, you should visit the Dwarkadheesh temple at 10:00 AM in the morning to see the rush of devotees and locals enthusiastically playing with colours and drinking glasses and glasses of thandai. The spirit and excitement in the air can be imagined, and the rush of people at this location is totally mind blowing.
Head to the Daoji Temple during the 7th day of Holi as it is Huranga today. So, basically here you’ll see the men turning naughty and teasing the women with colours and the women not only beating the men with sticks but also stripping them. With the added fun of colours and Bhang, this tradition becomes all the more exciting.
Just imagine, when reading about the exhilarating ways of celebrating Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan is making you so happy, how you would feel when you actually experience it all! So, don’t delay, pack your bags at the earliest and get a safe, sanitized car rental and drive to these cities. Hurry! Just a few days are left for the celebrations to begin.
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