'Didn’t go as planned': Austrian woman injured during Holi in Vrindavan, warns tourists to stay safe

The woman said her day began with friends, colours, and “crazy Holi energy.” (Image credit: Instagram/@breeandthelove)

• Austrian woman injured by stones mixed with color during Holi
• She warned Holi in Vrindavan can be unsafe for foreign women
• Her video sparked debate on tourist safety during Holi

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An Austrian woman celebrating Holi in the temple town said the festivities turned painful when stones mixed with colour were thrown into her eyes, causing burning and blurred vision for days.

In an Instagram post, Britta Schlagbauer shared a video describing her experience of celebrating Holi in the temple town. She said celebrating Holi in Vrindavan felt both wild and beautiful before it took a distressing turn. “Celebrate Holi in Vrindavan, but things didn’t go as planned,” she said.

The woman said her day started with excitement, friends, colours and the “crazy Holi energy”. She purchased scarves, saw cows covered in colours, and drank bhang -- a drink made from cannabis leaves.

“Monkeys were climbing over us. We had amazing food and visited stunning temples. Holi was wild and beautiful. And then it happened,” she said.

However, things quickly took a turn. “For a moment it wasn’t just fun,” she said. She claimed that large amounts of colour were thrown every few seconds, and that someone added stones, hitting her in the eyes. “Unfortunately, someone picked up colour from the ground with stones and threw it straight into my eyes. It burned like hell. I cried it out. I washed it out. But days later, my vision is still blurry,” she shared.

Even after the incident, she described Holi as “magical”, but warned that it can be difficult for women visiting from abroad. “Would I do it again? Maybe, but differently. Celebrate Holi, but stay safe,” she concluded.

In the caption, she wrote, “Holi Experience in Vrindavan. All in one word? Crazy!”

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A post shared by Britta Schlagbauer (@breeandthelove)

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Schlagbauer’s video sparked online debate, with many users advising tourists against celebrating Holi in the streets.

One user wrote, Sorry sister, not all are like this, but some people do not have good motives, some only want to touch girls.”

Another user added, “Ohh mam, really sorry, please be safe, not all men are good, have Holi but Play with only you know. But we are really sorry for what happened to you.”

A third Instagram user said, “Not even indian women celebrate Holi on the streets, it's too violent even among men, most people do it among family and friends”