Holi celebrations in India: Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana among best places to PLAY Holi

Produced by: Bhoomika
Designed by: Pragati

Best Holi celebrations in
India 2023

It is time for the festival of colours, Holi! India is all geared up to be soaked in the bright colours of spring. While Holi will be celebrated in every corner of the country, here are a few places in India which celebrate Holi like nowhere else. 

Vrindavan Holi celebration

The ‘Brijwasis’ and others in Vrindavan play ‘Phoolon ki Holi’, where people throw flowers and petals at each other. Thousands of pilgrims visit Vrindavan to participate in the Holi celebrations, which begin in the Banke Bihari temple

Mathura Holi celebration

The celebrations in Vrindavan end around 2 pm, after which Mathura is the place to be at. A vibrant procession is carried out through the streets of the town, from Vishram Ghat to Holi Gate, with children dressed as Radha and Krishna riding on chariots

Barsana Holi celebration

The world-famous ‘lathmaar’ Holi is celebrated in Mathura, Barsana and Nandgaon where people celebrate Holi in a rather unusual way. It is usually a week-long celebration that starts off with putting colours on Lord Krishna’s idol.

Barsana Holi celebration

The men of Nandgaon, which is the birth-place of Krishna, are treated as sons-in-law of Barsana, birth-place of Radha, and are playfully beaten by women with sticks

Shantiniketan Holi 2023

Known as Basant Utsav or spring festival, Shantiniketan in West Bengal celebrates Holi with cultural festivals, customary application of gulal and musical re-telling of folktales. Rabindranath Tagore started this festival at his Rabindra Bharati University in Shantiniketan

Holi celebration in Agra

Agra celebrates Holi beside the Taj Mahal and the bank of the river Yamuna. People celebrate Holi with great excitement, drink thandai and apply colours on each other. 

Udaipur Holi is a royal one. The celebrations for Holi in Udaipur commence with the Holika Dahan ritual performed by the royal Mewar family. This is known as Mewar Holika dahan.

Udaipur Holi 2023

This is followed by a colourful procession from the royal family's residence to Manek Chowk royal residence. Folk dancers perform Gair and sing songs

Holi in Udaipur

Holi in Pushkar

Holi in Pushkar is celebrated across streets, ghats and temples. The Rajasthani city, which is also known for Pushkar International Kite festival, is a must-visit on Holi

Holi in Delhi,
Mumbai, Jaipur

While the above places are known for their unique Holi celebrations, Mumbai, Delhi and Jaipur are also known for celebrating Holi with full fervour. Gujiya (a sweet) and Kanji (a sour drink) are essential at every household during Holi.

Holi in Indian cities

On the day of the festival, all the streets appear to be painted pink, yellow and blue as kids and adults play with water guns and drench each other with water as they welcome the summer