Vibrant Color Festival Holi
- Duration : 07 nights/08 days
- Destinations : Delhi-Vrindavan – Mathura
- Best Season : March
Overview
Holi is one of the most famous festivals of India. The festival majorly involves Holika Dahan (bonfire) on the first night followed by a festival of colors on the nest day. However, different regions of India celebrate this splendid festival differently.
A festival that takes place on an international scale, Holi India Color Festival has become a popular event for travelers worldwide.
Thousand years of history, mythological legends, stories of goodness prevailing over the evil . You can be a part of the crazy Holi celebrations of Barsana, Vrindavan, and Braj in Mathura.
Read moreIt is on the ghats of Mathura – the birthplace of Krishna where Holi is celebrated in the wildest, yet colorful and sane revelry. With sticks, shields, colors, and canons of water, Holi celebration here is a must-have experience.
Holi is celebrated in great gusto and fervour in Vrindavan. It welcomes the advent of spring and bids good riddance to the cold chills of winter. Coming underway on Vasant Panchami, Holi marks a grand celebration in Vrindavan with huge processions of people smeared in different colors dancing to the tunes of the musicians.
On the ekadashi before Holi, the city celebrates Phoolon wali Holi where flowers are thrown at the devotees by the temple priests. Another unique celebration of Holi in Vrindavan is the Widow’s Holi that began a few years back to break the convention that prevented widow’s from playing with colors or wearing colored clothes.
In another bizarre tradition that has been followed since ages in U.P, the men are beaten up with sticks by women while playing Holi! Originating from a small village called Barsana near Mathura, the Lathmar Holi can actually be said to be the weirdest way of celebrating the festival. However, it’s quite a sight to catch the giggling women taking sheer pleasure in putting the sticks to use. The Barsana Holi is certainly the most famous places to celebrate holi in India and will give you all the vibes of Mathura Holi for sure!
This is just one sample programme and if you want to customize it then our tourplanner will help you to make your trip memorable.
Read lessItinerary
Arrive Delhi
Arrival at Delhi’s International Airport. Following customs, immigration formalities and baggage collection, our representative will meet you as you EXIT the ARRIVALS TERMINAL building after which you would be transferred to your hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Delhi- Mathura- Vrindavan
Morning after breakfast, visit old Delhi market and drive to Mathura (165 Kms/ 2 ½ Hours drive approx).
Proceed for check-in at the hotel.
Overnight at hotel.
Vrindavan
After breakfast, drive to Barsana.
Visit Lathmar Holi, Barsana
Barsana Holi celebrations start about a week before the actual date of Holi. Barsana is a village near Mathura and it was the village of Radha. It is famous for its lathmar Holi in which women beat men (playfully) with sticks. Barsana is the place where Radha used to live and Krishna used to visit this place to put color on Radha.
Overnight at hotel.
Vrindavan
After breakfast, visit Lathmar Holi, Nandgaon.
Celebrations in Barsana is followed up by similar celebrations in Nandgaon (Krishna’s village) .Nandgaon has found reference in religious texts as the place where Krishna spent most of his childhood days. According to legends, after Krishna went to Barsana to put color on Radha, Radha and her friends came to Nandgaon on the next day to put color on Krishna. And hence, Holi celebrations shift from Barsana to Nandgaon.
Overnight at hotel.
Vrindavan
After breakfast, visit Holi at Banke Bihari Temple in Vrindavan
Banke Bihari is the hub of Holi festivities in Vridavan – believed to be the birthplace of Lord Krishna. The temple opens up its doors to all visitors to come and play Holi with the lord himself. The priest throw colors and holy water and the crowd chants in unison. Its an unbelievable experience to be a part of this event.
The Banke-Bihari Temple in Vrindavan is one such place to enjoy the festivities as it hosts a week-long Holi celebration here. During these days, the idol of Bihariji (Krishna’s another name) is dressed up in white coloured clothes and it is brought closer to his devotees to play Holi. Vrindavan Holi is played with coloured water and gulal, a form of colour made using organic substances like flowers and kesar. Goswamis (priests in the temple) sprinkle colours on everyone using buckets, water guns, etc. The whole atmosphere is made even more lively with music (bhajans) in the background and people dance to the tunes while enjoying the colors.
Overnight at hotel.
Mathura- Delhi
After breakfast, visit Holi celebration Dwarkadish Temple in Mathura.
Drive to Delhi and transfer to International airport to catch flight for onward journey.
Attractions
- Lathmar Holi in Barasana and Nandgaon
- Range Bharni Ekadashi – Lathmar Holi in Krishna Janmabhoomi, Mathura; Colorful Holi celebration in Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan
- Holika Dahan in entire Brijmandal; priests crossing holi fire in Phalen Village, Kosi, Mathura
- Dhulandi Holi – colored water holi in Brijmandal, color Holi celebrations in Mathura Vrindavan temples
- Rang Panchami – end of Holi celebrations in Braj mandal temples