HOW TO CELEBRATE THE HOLI FESTIVAL IN MATHURA-VRINDAVAN

The best time to be in India is during the Holi festival! If you have a choice, try to celebrate Holi in Mathura-Vrindavan.

The festival of colors is one of the biggest celebrations of the year. It is something extraordinary and indescribable. The elderly and young smear each other’s faces with colored powder, pour colored water on the others, and everybody turns crazy for a day. Even several days after, you can see the “aftermath” as the color is quite lasting. It is so funny that people are walking around with the strangest hair colors. If you leave your home on this day, you have to be cautious. The “color attack” can come from anywhere and anytime. And one more piece of advice: Keep your camera and mobile phone in a safe place! 

But let’s see the story behind it, and what the best places are to celebrate Holi in India.

The story behind Holi

The festival got its name after the legend of Holika. Once there was a king Hiranyakashyap, who ordered all the people in his kingdom to worship him as a god, and only him. 

But his son, Prahlad was a fervent devout of Lord Vishnu and refused to worship his father as a God. The king tried to kill his son in several different ways, but he never succeeded. Once, he asked his sister, Holika to take Prahlad in her lap and sit in the bonfire well knowing that Holika had a sacred shawl to protect her from fire. Holika lured him to sit in her lap and then entered the fire with the shawl covering her body. But while Prahlad was praying incessantly for Vishnu, the magic scarf flew off from Holika over to Prahlad. Holika got burnt, and Prahlad got out unscathed as a reward for his devoutness. 

The story of Holika concludes the victory of good over evil. 

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Read the complete guide about the most famous temples in Mathura and Vrindavan

The reason why Indians throw colors on each other during Holi

The reason why they throw colors on each other is that the beloved God, Krishna did the same to Radha. The stories of Krishna playing or dancing with his love, Radha are well-known for Hindus from mythology. 

According to the legend, Krishna’s tyrannical uncle, Kansa tried to poison baby Krishna by sending a demon in the form of a woman to breastfeed him. Krishna, unaware of that, sucked from the poisonous milk, and Krishna’s skin turned into a dark blue color. He was worried whether the gopis (shepherdesses) and especially the beautiful Radha would like him in this way. Krishna got jealous of Radha’s fair skin, and he smeared her face in jest with different colors. Besides, Krishna loved teasing his shepherdesses and poured colored water on them as a young boy.

On the first day of the Holi festival, Hindus light bonfires and throw roasting grains, popcorn, coconut, and chickpeas onto them. It is how they recall the story of Holika and the power of devoutness. The next day they play with colored powders and water. The activities are all about the divine love of Radha and Krishna.

People in Vrindavan, Mathura, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Govardhan celebrate Holi in the most spectacular form. 

Tips to celebrate Holi in Mathura-Vrindavan

• First of all, be open to this crazy celebration! Feel free to throw colors on the locals, but expect that you will also get some, even when you do not expect. There are no rules during Holi. In the end, everybody gets soaked in colors, and the more you want to hide the more they target you.
• Take a cloth that you do not mind getting dirty and take care of your camera. Cover your stuff in plastic.
• Book your accommodation in Mathura as it has more options. However, if the ISKCON temple in Vrindavan has a guesthouse that could be a unique experience if you find a place.
• Arrive earlier for the celebrations before the temples get crowded
• The consumption of Bhang (drink with cannabis leaves) or Bhang Tandai is part of the Holi celebrations. The Bhang Tandai is made of milk, sugar, almonds, saffron, bhang seed powder, and rose petals. But be careful because too much of that can be intoxicating.
• Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan attracts big crowds and people get involved in fights sometimes. Just stay away and get lost in the celebration.

Why do they celebrate Holi less in South India than in the north?

Holi celebrations are far less spectacular in the south because it is the festival of Krishna and Radha, who lived in the north part of India. Despite this, they keep the custom in most part of the south, but it is less spectacular. At the tourist places in the South, you can expect more activities, while other regions do not celebrate at all.

Read other interesting stories and facts about India

Celebrate Holi in Barsana – the 1st day of Lathmar Holi

The festival takes place in March each year. The best thing is to celebrate Holi in Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, and Nandgaon. It takes around a week (23-30 March in 2021), and each day has a different name with its activities. Holi is excessively colorful at these places, and people turn crazy about throwing the colors and water at each other. 

But out of all, Lathmar Holi in Barsana and Nandgaon have the most stunning tradition. It starts a week before the actual Holi in the Radha Rani temple. The men from Nandgaon come to Barsana to venerate Krishna and Radha in the main temple, while the elderly from both villages sing ballads. Then they play Holi with the women of Barsana. The men come well prepared because they know exactly what awaits them. They wear protective gear underneath their dresses and carry a shield. The women are chasing them with their sticks, and the unlucky ones are captured and punished. The women make them wear female clothing and dance in public. 

According to the legend, Krishna traveled with his friends from his village, Nandgaon to Barsana. He started to tease Radha and her friends by smearing her fair face with colors. In return, Radhe and her friends went to Nandgaon and started to chase Krishna with sticks. Hence the name, “Lathmar” which means beat with a stick. Krishna repeated the same thing the following years until it became a tradition. 

Women start to prepare for this „fight” a month ahead by eating heavier food to get more power.

It is like a great show, where men try to provoke women with songs and words. There is no Holi without Bhang! It is a kind of drink mixed with cannabis. After drinking it, some start to laugh, some cry, and it seems to be a perfect way to get rid of the stress.

Tip: go early morning to Barsana to the Radha Rani temple as it gets very crowded later.

How to go from Mathura/Vrindavan to Barsana

Barsana is 60 km from Vrindavan and 40 km from Mathura. There are some different roads to get from Vrindavan to Barsana. The distance is approximately 40 km. If you take the Govardhan route from Mathura/Vrindavan, you can also stop at the Govardhan Hill (parvat) on the way.

Places to visit in Barsana

Barsana is where the Krishna-Radha cult is very much alive. There are countless temples dedicated to the God and Goddess. Radha grew up in Barsana, and they often met and played here with Krishna. Once you are in Barsana to celebrate Holi, do not forget to visit the most important places.  

Radha Rani temple (Shriji temple)

The Radha Rani is the only temple in the country dedicated to Radha and became a landmark. It thrones on the top of a 25-meter high hill. Locals call it the “Forehead of Barsana”. The approximately 400-year-old temple has some unexplainable charm and energy that attracts even non-Hindus. It is also called the Ladli Lal temple (Ladli means beloved daughter, Lal means beloved son). The mixed red and white color of the temple symbolizes the love of Krishna and Radha. While taking the long flight of stairs to the entrance, you pass by the vast palace of Radha’s father, king Vajranabh.

Radha was born 15 days after Janmashtami (birth of Krishna), an auspicious day for the people in Barsana. On this day, they decorate the shrine with garlands and offer laddus (typical Indian sweet) to the Goddess.

Apart from Holi, the festivities of the birth of Krishna (Shri Krishna Janmashtami) and Radha (Radhashtami) also attract big crowds.

Summer: 5:00 am – 1:30 pm, 4:30 pm – 9:00 pm, winter : 6:00 am – 1:00 pm, 4:30 pm– 8:00 pm

Dan Bihari Temple

They created this ancient temple of Barsana in the 13th century to honor the generosity of Krishna towards the needy. “Dan” means donate, and “Bihari” is another name of Krishna. Once, a poor man approached Krishna and explained his problem. He could not provide enough gold for the marriage of her daughter. Krishna gifted him an amount of gold that was equivalent to the weight of Radha.

The temple is one of the most popular places to visit in Barsana.

Radha Kushalbihari Temple

A Rajput king, a fervent devotee of Lord Krishna built the large, palace-like temple to move Radharani from the small shrine of the Shriji to a spacious new temple.

The king spent a fortune on the red sandstone temple decorated with beautiful carvings, and the result was stunning. The only problem was that the deity, Radharani refused to leave the shrine atop the Bhanugarh hill as this was her abode. The king accepted and installed other idols of Krishna and Radha inside.

Rangeeli Mahal and Kirti mandir

It is not a temple, but the palace-like ashram of the worldwide charity, educational and spiritual organization, the Jagadguru Kripalu Parishat (JKP). They have four ashrams in India and one in the United States. According to the principles of the founder and spiritual leader, Jagadguru Shri Kripalu Ji Maharaj (dies in 2013), they seek to provide spiritual guidance, provide education, and medical care for the underprivileged. His speeches are broadcast on several religious TV channels every day.

The ashram has a vast pleasant courtyard with a garden, fountains, and water shows. It mainly has a residential function with several guesthouses. Part of the complex is the brand new Kirti mandir from 2019, the only temple dedicated to the child Radha Rani cradled in the arms of her mother, Kirti.  

Celebrate Holi in Nandgaon – the 2nd day of Lathmar Holi

Nandgaon is only 9 km from Barsana and 50 km north of Mathura. Krishna spent his childhood in the village between the age of 7 and 10.

On the second day, the exact opposite happens. The men from Barsana take revenge for what happened the day before and travel to Nandgaon to play Holi with the women of Nandgaon. They start to tease them until the women of Nandgaon beat the men with their sticks. 

How to go from Barsana to Nandgaon?

The distance between Nandgaon and Barsana is only 9 km, which makes it easy to take an autorickshaw in only 10-15 minutes. 

Nand Bhawan and Nand Raiji temple – the former palace of Lord Krishna with a beautiful view

Nand Bhawan was the house of the foster parents of Lord Krishna, Yashoda, and Nand baba. Adjacent to the palace is the Nand Raiji temple. Nand Baba, chieftain of the village, constructed the residence on top of the Nandishwar Hill to protect Krishna from the murder attempts of his uncle, King Kansa. The tyrant sent demons every day to kill Krishna since he miraculously escaped from the prison cell in Mathura where he was born. But all attempts failed. 

A visit through the rooms of the palace is a journey back to the childhood of Lord Krishna. There are several legends about the adventures of young Krishna. It is the most important pilgrimage site in Nandgaon and gets overcrowded during the famous festivals.

They decorated the red sandstone Nand Raiji temple from the 19th century with vibrant wall paintings depicting the life of Krishna. The main shrine contains the idols of his stepparents and other family members and that of Radha. Since both the palace and the temple stand on the hilltop, the view of the village is stunning. 

Opening hours: 

summer: 05:00 am 02:00 pm and 04:00 pm to 09:00 pm, aarti: 05:00 am

winter: 06:00 am to 02:00 pm and 04:00 pm to 08:30 pm, aarti 06:00 am

Celebrate Holi in Vrindavan – the 3rd day of Holi

On the 3rd day, the festival shifts to the Banke-Bihari temple in Vrindavan. Instead of the colorful powders, they play Holi with flowers. The priest opens the gates at 4 pm and starts to throw flower petals on the devotees. The whole ceremony lasts for 30 minutes. For the rest of the week, colors and paints envelop entirely Vrindavan in colors and paints. Even priests take the water gun and buckets to play with the visitors. The Banki Bihari temple remains the center of the celebrations, but every other Krishna temples have their way to celebrate. For the week, they dress the idol of Bihariji (another name of Krishna) in white and bring it closer to the devotees.

Celebrate Holi with the widows of Vrindavan – the 4th day of Holi

In Vrindavan, the women from the widow’s home also celebrate Holi, a big step in India. In the most traditional places, widows are still not allowed to wear colorful clothes or play with the colors. All because they are held responsible for the death of their husbands. There are well-known widow’s homes in the holy city, Varanasi too. In Vrindavan, they stay in the Pagal Baba ashram in isolation to devote the rest of their life to spirituality and meditation. They have to wear a white saari. It is only a few years that they are allowed to participate in the Holi celebrations.

The widows of Vrindavan celebrate Holi around noon in the Radha Gopinath ancient temple. You can also live some donations to support them.

Bankey Bihari temple in Vrindavan and Sishram Ghat in Mathura– the 5th day of Holi

It is the highlight of Holi in Vrindavan. The temple gates open up at 9 am, and the Holi celebration continues till 1:30 pm. Priests throw colors on the devotees, and people drench each other in a bucket of colorful water. Once it is over in the temple, the crowds continue in the streets.

After the Holi festivities at Banke Bihari, head to Mathura for the fascinating Holi procession. 

Young boys and girls get dressed as Lord Krishna and Radha sit in vehicles surrounded by the crowds. The procession starts from the Vishram Ghat at 3 pm and ends at Holi gate at sunset. Stay here to see as they burn the effigy of Manmatha, the God of Love.

Celebrate Holi at the Dwarkadheesh Temple in Mathura – the 6th day of Holi

It is the actual day of Holi. Although the activities only start at 10 am it is better to go earlier to watch the preparations. It is also a lovely Holi celebration with a lot of dancing, and locals take some bhang (dring with some cannabis mixed with that) 

Celebrate Huranga at the Dauji Temple – the 7th, last day of Holi

The tradition of Huranga is the wildest form of celebrating Holi in Baldeo, some 30 km from Mathura. During Lathmar Holi, women not only beat women but strip even their clothes off.

They say that the tradition exists for thousands of years. The program starts with prayers in the Dauji temple dedicated to the brother of Krishna. Then the men drench the women in colored water, who try to defend themselves by ripping off the men’s clothes. They are beating the men with the pieces of clothes. Some jump into the temple pond full of colors.

This marks the end of the one-week Holi season.

Celebrate Holi in Phalen village

Another peculiar Holi celebration takes place 40 km from Mathura, in the Phalen village. It is a tradition of more than 500 years that a young volunteer from the Brahmins (priests) walks through a burning pyre and comes out unscathed. Some say this is the place where the mythical tale of Holika and Prahlad took place. Allegedly, everybody who undertook the challenge survived the ritual so far. The volunteer goes through severe preparation, including meditation and strengthening his body and soul. He only survives on milk and fruit during the preceding month. Crossing the fire symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Before walking over the fire, he has a dip in the nearby pond.

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