Holi: The Religious Part

Holi will be celebrated this year (2023) on 8 March. While the celebrations that mark the occasion of Vishnu saving His devotee Prahlada from his aunt Holika who wanted to burn her nephew to death, followed by Hindus smearing one another the next day with colours in large parts of northern, western and eastern India — now increasingly visible also in the southern states — are well known, Swadharma presents the religious aspect of the annual festival.

The related stories from Puranas are told differently in different sections of the Hindu community, as these Puranas were composed at different points of time in history, mostly initiated by rishis (religious scholars) who branched off with ever-new sects also known as sampradayas.

First, the most famous story about Holi, also known as Dhuli, Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi in Sanskrit.

Holi in the Puranas

Chapter 7 of Bhagavata Purana describes Hiranyakashipu as the king of demonic asuras who had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by an astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God and demanded that everyone worship only him.

Hiranyakashipu’s son Prahlada however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Vishnu. This infuriated the demon father. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika, Prahlada’s evil aunt, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her.

Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire while Prahlada was not. As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who survived while Holika burned. Her burning to death is celebrated on the night before the day Hindus play with colours. How Holi came to be celebrated is mentioned in subsequent sections.

Some traditions do not mention the cloak while saying that Holika had the boon not to be affected by Agni (the fire god). According to the Vishnu Purana, Holika told her brother that she was invulnerable to fire due to a boon she had received. Arrangements were made to have Prahlada sit upon the lap of his aunt, atop a burning pyre. However, as Prahlada chanted the name of Vishnu, he escaped unscathed while Holika was incinerated.

Subsequently, Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).

The Holika bonfire and Holi signify the celebration of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika.

Ritual: Before lighting the fire, devotees offer roli, akshata, flowers, raw cotton thread, turmeric, moong dal, batasha, peanuts and gur in the stacked woods. Then they chant mantras and light the fire and circle around the bonfire five times and pray for their wellness and happiness.

Holi at home

1. In the morning take bath, wear clean clothes and go to your house temple.
2. Keep the Radha Krishna image on the flowers of clean red cloth while facing in the east direction.
3. One should place all puja items on the place of worship and apply gulal on Radha Krishna’s lotus feet.
4. Apply sandalwood paste and offer incense sticks, earthen lamps and tulasi to the god goddesses.
5. Then offer sweets and thereafter Gangajal.
6. Revolve in a circle after offering the items to the god by joining both hands.
7. When the puja is complete, sprinkle the holy water from the Ganga on everyone and apply gulal on faces and distribute Prasad as blessings.

Holi rituals in order

Shastric puja of Dhulandi is detailed and includes following

• Sri Kalasha Sthapana
• Aavahana
• Swastivachan
• Sodashopachara Puja
• Sri Sri RadhaMohan Puja
• Sri Vrindavan Dham Puja
• Sri Vajramandala Puja
• Purnahuti
• Homa and visarjan

Holi is an auspicious occasion also for bringing home a Balakrishna (Baby Krishna) murti. The mantras for prana pratistha of the murti, officiated over by a priest, to be chanted during each stage, are as follows.

The mantras above are the same as those chanted during SriKrishna Janmashtami, especially if prana pratishtha is done unto His murti.

Understanding God, the superhuman Krishna, and dispelling the myth of ordinary romance

While Mathura is very much a part of northern India, Braj Holi is a variant with distinct colours (pun intended). Before describing the unique week-long festivities in this part of what is now the state of Uttar Pradesh, a disclaimer will be in order.

Radha made her first major appearance in Hindu scriptures in the 12^th-century Gita Govinda in Sanskrit by Jayadeva. But before that, Garga Samhita, a puranic work by Rishi Garga, was the first piece of literature to mention the romantic description of Radha and Krishna playing Holi. While some purists scoff at the ‘latter-day’ introduction of Radha in the bodywork of Hindu scriptures, going by the essence of Chapter 7 of Srimadbhagavadgita, any entity developed by an accomplished sadhaka that enjoys the sincere devotion of many people acquires immense powers.

Now, Mathura is the land where Radha and Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love.

There is also a popular symbolic legend behind the festival. In his youth, Krishna despaired about whether the fair-skinned Radha would like Him because of His dark skin colour. His mother Yashoda, tired of His desperation, asks Him to approach Radha and ask her to colour His face in any colour she wanted. This Radha did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Since then, the playful colouring of Radha and Krishna’s faces has been commemorated as Holi.

One must bear in mind that this story of divine love should not be equated with romances observed between mere mortals. Radha, according to her devotees, was in part Lakshmi, the eternal consort of Vishnu. As were all gopis who were attracted to a toddler Krishna and the legendary more than 16,000 wives whom an adult Krishna married. There is a tendency among those who know Hinduism from hearsay to trivialise Krishna’s female consorts and even see Him as a philandering polygamous man who like Islam’s prophet Mohammed in Kali Yuga justified having many wives under the pretext of protecting them!

Krishna left Vrindavana in Gokula for ever at the age of 8 after slaying his maternal uncle, the demon Kansa, and defeating Jarasandha repeatedly, after which He, at the age of 11, left Mathura too in order to spare His subjects the horror of recurring wars. So, even those who consider Krishna an ordinary human being must take into account the fact that they are claiming sexual relationships with a little boy, which is absurd. The allegation or popular myth of Krishna’s adult male-like behaviour also flies in the face of the fact that Krishna never returned to the land where women were supposedly crazy about Him! Can a human man resist such a temptation?

The Ashtabharya is the group of eight principal queen-consorts of Krishna, the king of Dvaraka in the Dvapara Yuga (epoch). The most popular list, found in the Bhagavata Purana, includes Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra, and Lakshmana. Variations exist in the Vishnu Purana and the Harivamsa, which include queens called Madri or Rohini, instead of Bhadra. Most of them were princesses.

Unlike in Treta Yuga where Lakshmi dwelt on earth as Rama’s only wife, Lakshmi manifested simultaneously in different bodies in Dvapara Yuga. All of Krishna’s consorts including Radha are revered as the avatars of Lakshmi while the gopis of Braj are considered Radha’s manifestations.

Rukmini, the princess of Vidarbha, was Krishna’s first wife and chief queen (Patrani) of Dvaraka. She is considered the avatar Sridevi, the goddess of prosperity. Satyabhama, the third wife, a Yadava princess, is considered Lakshmi’s aspect of the earth-goddess Bhudevi. Jambavati is believed to be the manifestation of the third aspect of Lakshmi, Niladevi. Kalindi, the goddess of the river Yamuna, is worshipped independently.

Besides the Ashtabharya, Krishna had 16,000 or 16,100 ceremonial wives. They were actually women rescued from the custody of Narakasura and given shelter as they had nowhere else to go as, in the celestial scheme of things, the asura had abducted them from different lokas (realms) from mutually crisscrossing timelines.

Beyond India, these legends help explain the significance of Holi (Phagwah), common in some Caribbean and South American communities of Indian origin such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius.

Holi in southern India

State-wise variations appear later in this exposition

This date coincides with the festival of Kama Dahanam in south India, regarded as the date Shiva burnt Kamadeva to ashes.

Among other Hindu traditions such as Shaivism and Shaktism, the legendary significance of Holi is linked to Shiva in yoga and deep meditation. Goddess Parvati, who wanted to bring back Shiva into the world, seeks help from the god of love, Kamadeva, on Vasant Panchami. The love god shoots arrows at Shiva, the yogi opens his third eye and burns Kama to ashes.

This upsets both Kama’s wife Rati (Kamadevi) and his own wife Parvati. Rati performs her own meditative asceticism for 40 days, upon which Shiva cools down, forgives Kama out of compassion and restores the god of love. This return of the god of love is celebrated on the 40^th day after the Vasant Panchami festival as Holi.

The Kama legend and its significance to Holi have many variant forms, particularly in southern India.

Holi by Sikhs

Guru Gobind Singh, the last human guru of the Sikhs, modified Holi with a three-day Hola Mohalla extension festival of martial arts. The extension started the day after the Holi festival in Anandpur Sahib, where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles and compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises.

Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Sikh Empire observed Holi that extended across what are now northern parts of India and Pakistan. Sikh court records state that 300 mounds of colours were used in 1837 by Ranjit Singh and his officials in Lahore. Ranjit Singh would celebrate Holi with others in the Bilawal gardens, where decorative tents were set up.

In 1837, Sir Henry Fane, who was the commander-in-chief of the British Indian Army, joined the Holi celebrations organised by Ranjit Singh. A mural in the Lahore Fort was sponsored by Ranjit Singh and it showed the Hindu god Krishna playing Holi with gopis. After the death of Ranjit Singh, his Sikh sons and others continued to play Holi every year with colours and lavish festivities. The colonial British officials joined these celebrations.

Khalistani influence is threatening to end such instances of Hindu-Sikh bonhomie of late in the Indian state of Punjab as much as in Sikh pockets in Canada, the United Kingdom, the United States and Australia.

Significance of time

Holi (Hindi: होली, Kannada: ಹೋಳಿ, Marathi: होळी, Nepali: होली, Punjabi: ਹੋਲੀ, Telugu: హోళి) is also known as Basanto Utsav (Bengali: বসন্ত উত্সব) (“Spring festival”) in West Bengal and Assam; Festival of Colours, or Dol Jatra (Assamese: দ’ল যাত্ৰা) in Assam, Phagu Purnima (Nepali: फागु पूर्णिमा) in the hilly region of Nepal, Dola jātra (Odia: ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା) in Odisha; also known as Phakuwa or Phagwah (Assamese: ফাকুৱা) and Fagua in Bhojpuri (western Bihar). The customs and celebrations vary between regions of India.

Dol or Doljatra in Bengal and Odisha is normally observed a day before the northern festival of colours because of variations in Hindu calendars. Whereas western and northern Hindus follow either the Vikram Samvat or the Shak Samvat, Bengalis follow the calendar that has been in currency since 57 BCE (often wrongly attributed to Akbar).

Backed by scriptures and literature

Other than the Puranas named in the sections above, Holi finds mention in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita and by poet Kālidāsa during the 4^th-century reign of Chandragupta II. The celebration of Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit drama Ratnavali.

Garga Samhita describes how exactly Holi was observed by Krishna and gopis, as follows:

श्रीखण्डागुरुकस्तूरीहरिद्रकुङ्कुमद्रवैः
पूरिताभिर् दृतीभिश् च सम्युक्तास् ता व्रजाङ्गनाः

Verse 4.12.14

रक्तहस्ताः पीतवस्त्राः कूजन्नूपुरमेखलाः
गायन्त्यो होलिकागीतिर्गलीभिर्हास्य सन्धिभिः

Verse 4.12.15

आबीरारुणचूर्णानां मुष्टिभिस्ता इतस्ततः
कुर्वत्यश् चारुणं भूमिं दिगंतं चाम्बरं तथा

Verse 4.12.16

Other scriptures and pieces of literature that mention Holi appear in the next section that describes variations in the festival in different states of India.

The festival of Holi caught the fascination of European traders and British colonial staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of the Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions published after 1910.

Festivities in different states and abroad

Bihar and Jharkhand

Holi is known as Phaguwa in Bhojpuri. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dried cow dung cakes, the wood of the araad or redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves on the bonfire.

People assemble near the pyre. The eldest member of the gathering or a priest initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. The next day, the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. Traditionally, people also clean their houses to mark the festival.

Holi Milan is observed also in Bihar, where family members and well-wishers visit each other’s family, apply colours (abeer) on the faces of one another, and on the feet of the elderly. Usually, this takes place on the evening of Holi, the day after Holi with wet colours is played in the morning through the afternoon. Due to large-scale internal migration issues faced by the people, recently, this tradition has slowly begun to transform, and it is common to have Holi Milan on an entirely different day either before or after the actual day of Holi.

Though the festival is usually celebrated with colours, in some places, people also enjoy celebrating Holi with water solutions of mud or clay. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of the dholak (a two-headed hand-drum) and the spirit of Holi. Intoxicating bhang, made from cannabis, milk and spices, is consumed with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, such as pakoras and thandai, to enhance the mood of the festival.

Goa

Holi is locally called Ukkuli in Konkani. It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called Gosripuram temple. It is a part of the Goan or Konkani spring festival known as Shigmo or शिगमो in Koṅkaṇī or Shishirotsava, which lasts for about a month. The colour festival or Holi is a part of longer, more extensive spring festival celebrations. Holi festivities (but not Shigmo festivities) include Holika Puja and Dahan, Dhulvad or Dhuli Vandana, Haldune or offering yellow and saffron colour or Gulal to the deity.

Gujarat

In Gujarat, Holi is a two-day festival. On the evening of the first day, people light a bonfire. People offer raw coconut and corn to the fire. The second day is the festival of colour or “Dhuleti”, celebrated by sprinkling coloured water and applying colours to each other. Dwarka, a coastal city of Gujarat, celebrates Holi at the Dwarkadheesh temple and with citywide comedy and music festivities. Falling in the Hindu month of Phalguna, Holi marks the agricultural season of the rabi crop.

In some places, there is a custom in undivided Hindu families that the woman beats her brother-in-law with a sari rolled up into a rope in a mock rage and tries to drench him with colours, and in turn, the brother-in-law brings sweets (Indian desserts) to her in the evening.

Jammu and Kashmir

In Jammu and Kashmir, Holi celebrations are much in line with the general definition of Holi celebrations: a high-spirited festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop, with the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing.

Karnataka

Traditionally, in rural Karnataka, children collect money and wood in the weeks prior to Holi, and on “Kamadahana” night, all the wood is put together and lit. The festival is celebrated for two days. People in northern parts of Karnataka prepare special food on this day.

In Sirsi, Karnataka, Holi is celebrated with a unique folk dance called “Bedara Vesha”, which is performed during the nights beginning five days before the actual festival day. The festival is celebrated every alternate year in the town, which attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of India.

Maharashtra

In Maharashtra, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as Shimga, festivities that last five to seven days. A week before the festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On the day of Shimga, the firewood is heaped into a huge pile in each neighbourhood. In the evening, the fire is lit. Every household brings a meal and dessert, in honour of the fire god. Puran Poli is the main delicacy and children shout “Holi re Holi puranachi poli“.

Shimga celebrates the elimination of all evil. The colour celebrations here take place on the day of Rang Panchami, five days after Shimga. During this festival, people are supposed to forget and forgive any rivalries and start new healthy relations with all.

Manipur

Manipuris celebrate Holi for six days. Here, this holiday merges with the festival of Yaosang. Traditionally, the festival commences with the burning of a thatched hut of hay and twigs. Young children go from house to house to collect money, locally known as nakadeng (or nakatheng), as gifts on the first two days. The youths at night perform a group folk dance called Thabal Chongba on the full moon night of Lamta (Phalgun), traditionally accompanied by folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum, but nowadays by modern bands and fluorescent lamps.

In Krishna temples, devotees sing devotional songs, perform dances and celebrate with aber, wearing traditional white and yellow turbans. On the last day of the festival, large processions are taken out to the main Krishna temple near Imphal where several cultural activities are held. In recent decades, Yaosang, a type of Indian sport, has become common in many places of the valley, where people of all ages come out to participate in a number of sports that are somewhat altered for the holiday.

Odisha

The people of Odisha celebrate “Dola” on the day of Holi where the icons of Jagannath replace the icons of Krishna and Radha. Dola Melana, processions of the deities are celebrated in villages and bhoga is offered to the deities. “Dola yatra” was prevalent even before 1560 much before Holi was started when the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra used to be taken to the Dolamandapa (podium in Jagannath temple). People offer natural colours known as “abira” to the deities and apply it on the feet of the elderly.

Punjab

In Punjab, the eight days preceding Holi are known as Luhatak. People start throwing colours at others many days before Holi.

Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before when a fire is lit. Historically, the Lubana community of Punjab celebrated Holi “with great pomp and show. The Lubanas buried a pice and betel nut. They heaped up cow-dung cakes over the spot and made a large fire. When the fire had burnt out, they proceeded to hunt for the pice and betel nut. Whosoever found these, was considered very lucky.”

Elsewhere in Punjab, Holi was also associated with making fools of others. The custom of playing Holi-fools is prevalent in Punjab.

On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours at one another. For locals, Holi marks the end of winter. The Punjabi saying “phaggan phal laggan” (Phagun is the month for fructifying) exemplifies the seasonal aspect of Holi. Trees and plants start blossoming from the day of Basant and start bearing fruit by Holi.

During Holi in Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to rangoli in southern India, Mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. This art is known as Chowk Poorana or Chowkpurana in Punjab and is given shape by the peasant women of the state. In courtyards, this art is drawn using a piece of cloth. The art includes drawing tree motifs, flowers, ferns, creepers, plants, peacocks, palanquins and geometric patterns along with vertical, horizontal and oblique lines. These arts add to the festive atmosphere.

Folk theatrical performances known as swang or nautanki take place during Holi, with the latter originating in Punjab. Holi fairs are held in Punjab and may go on for many days. In some parts of Punjab, Holi is celebrated with wrestling matches”.

Tamil Nadu

In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as the Panguni Uthiram festival which signifies the blossoming of love and marriage. Rati and Kamadeva are worshipped in many parts. Temples also celebrate the marriages of Parvati and Parameswara, Murugan and Deivanai, Kodhai Aandaal and Rangamannar on this day. In the Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam, Narayana marries Komalavalli Naachiyar and gave Kalyana Kola Seva to His devotees on this day.

Valmiki Ramayana says it is on this day that Sita’s marriage with Rama was celebrated. Devotees throng to temples to witness the divine wedding ceremonies. It is also an auspicious date for engagements and weddings to finalise. From Brahmanda Purana, it is said that on this Panguni Uthiram, all holy waters join the seven sacred tanks in Tirupati Tirumala.

Andhra Pradesh and Telangana

Holi is called Kamuni Punnami/Kama Purnima or Jajiri in Telugu. Hindus celebrate Holi as it relates to the legend of Kamadeva. Holi is also known by different names: Kamavilas, Kamuni Panduga and Kama-Dahanam.

It is a 10-day festival in Telangana, of which the last two days are of great importance. As in other parts of India, in rural Telangana, the 9 days preceding Holi, children celebrate Kamuda by playing kolata sticks along with singing folk songs called Jajiri and collecting money, rice, corn and wood. Holi is, therefore, well known for “Jajiri paatalu Kamudi aatalu“, which means the festival of “Jajiri songs and Kamudi games” and on the 9th night, which is the eve of Holi, all the wood is put together and set on fire representing Kama Dahanam.

The next morning, which is the 10th day, is celebrated as Holi, with colours traditionally extracted from Moduga/Gogu Flowers (Palash/Butea monosperma).

Tripura

In Tripura, Holi is known as “Pali” which means colour in the Tripuri language; it’s celebrated all over Tripura.

Uttar Pradesh

Barsana, a town near Mathura in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, celebrates Lathmar Holi in the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness the Lath Mar Holi when women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi songs and shout “Radhe Radhe” or “Sri Radhe Krishna”.

The Holi songs of Braj Mandal are sung in pure Braj, the local language. Holi celebrated at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Men sing provocative songs in a bid to invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive and use long staves called lathis to beat the men, who protect themselves with shields.

Mathura, in the Braj region, is the birthplace of Krishna. In Vrindavan this day is celebrated with special puja and the traditional custom of worshipping Radha Krishna; here the festival lasts for sixteen days.

All over the Braj region and neighbouring places like Hathras, Aligarh, and Agra, Holi is celebrated in more or less the same way as in Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana.

A traditional celebration includes Matki Phod, similar to Dahi Handi in Maharashtra and Gujarat during Krishna Janmashtami, both in celebration of Krishna who is also called Makhan Chor (literally, butter thief). This is a historic tradition of the Braj region as well as the western region of India.

An earthen pot filled with butter or other milk products is hung high by a rope. Groups of boys and men climb on each other’s shoulders to form pyramids to reach and break them while girls and women sing songs and throw coloured water on the pyramid to distract them and make their job harder. This ritual sport continues in Hindu diaspora communities.

Outside Braj, in the Kanpur area, Holi lasts seven days with colour. On the last day, a grand fair called Ganga Mela or the Holi Mela is celebrated. This Mela (fair) was started by freedom fighters who fought British rule in the First Indian War of Independence in 1857 under the leadership of Nana Saheb. The Mela is held at various ghats along the banks of the River Ganga in Kanpur, to celebrate the Hindus and Muslims who together resisted the British forces in the city in 1857. On the eve of Ganga Mela, all government offices, shops, and courts generally remain closed. The Ganga Mela marks the official end of “The Festival of Colours” or Holi in Kanpur.

In Gorakhpur, the northeast district of Uttar Pradesh, the day of Holi starts with a special puja. This day, called “Holi Milan”, is considered to be the most colourful day of the year, promoting brotherhood among the people. People visit every house and sing Holi songs and express their gratitude by applying coloured powder (abeer).

Uttarakhand

Kumaoni Holi in Uttarakhand includes a musical affair. It takes different forms such as the Baithki Holi, the Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi. In Baithki Holi and Khari Holi, people sing songs with a touch of melody, fun, and spiritualism. These songs are essentially based on classical ragas. Baithki Holi, also known as Nirvan Ki Holi, begins from the premises of temples, where Holyars sing Holi songs and people gather to participate, along with playing classical music. The songs are sung in a particular sequence depending on the time of day; for instance, at noon the songs are based on Peelu, Bhimpalasi and Sarang ragas, while evening songs are based on the ragas such as Kalyan, Shyamkalyan and Yaman.

The Khari Holi is mostly celebrated in the rural areas of Kumaon. The songs of the Khari Holi are sung by the people, who, sporting traditional white churidar paijama and kurta, dance in groups to the tune of ethnic musical instruments such as the dhol and hurka.

In the Kumaon region, the Holika pyre, known as Cheer, is ceremonially built in a ceremony known as Cheer Bandhan 15 days before Dulhendi. The Cheer is a bonfire with a green Paiya tree branch in the middle. The Cheer of every village and neighbourhood is rigorously guarded as rival neighbourhoods try to playfully steal each other’s cheer.

The colours used on Holi are derived from natural sources. Dulhendi, known as Charadi (from Chharad), is made from flower extracts, ash and water. Holi is celebrated with great gusto much, in the same way, all across northern India.

West Bengal

In West Bengal, Holi is known by the name of “Dol Jatra”, “Dol Purnima” or the “Swing Festival”. In Shantiniketan, West Bengal, Holi is known as “Basanta Utsav”. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Radha and Krishna on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken around the main streets of the city or the village. On the Dol Purnima day in the early morning, students (mainly in Shantiniketan) dress up in saffron-coloured or pure white clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments, such as the ektara, dubri and veena. The devotees take turns swinging them while women dance around the swing and sing songs.