Holi is one of the most visual festivals in the world. Although most associate it with throwing lots of abeer (coloured powder) in the air, its rituals are filled with symbolism. Holi signifies the arrival of spring, the end of winter, and for many, it's a day to meet friends, family, neighbours, forgive and forget and repair broken relationships.
While the spirit remains the same - of good overcoming evil - and welcoming a season of fruitfulness and abundance, Holi is celebrated in different ways in each state and you would be surprised just how unique the celebrations can get.
Here’s a peek into the myriad ways the festival of colours is celebrated in different parts of the country.
Holi in the North-East
While the northern and western parts of India continue to dance to the tune of 'Rang Barse' and 'Balam Pichkari', the north-eastern state of Manipur has a version of Holi called Yaoshang, which is celebrated over five days.
On the first day of the festival, children go from house to house to collect nakatheng (a kind of donation).
There is a lot of singing and dancing, particularly the traditional folk dance called Thabal Chongba (translates to 'Moon light dance') where young boys and girls hold hands, sing and dance in a circle. A hut made of bamboo and straws is set afire to mark the closing of the festivities.
These days a variety of new traditions have emerged, with practices such as rock concerts, sports festivals, modern version of moonlight dances and more.
Rock concerts with local musicians are now a Yaoshang standard.
Assam, too, goes full throttle. In the town of Barpeta, the center of Neo-Vaishnavism in India, Holi is called Doul Utsav. For five days, the idols of lord Krishna and Rukmini are taken out of their seats and displayed to the public. Thousands of Hindus from across the state travel to pray and receive their blessings. On the final day men and women join to perform Assamese “holi geets”. The idols are paraded around town and swarmed by men, a boisterous group fighting to be closest to the gods. After returning the idols to their original seats, Doul Utsav is complete.
The Odiya version of Holi, known as Dola Purnima, is a massive celebration says Priyanka Pani, a home chef and independent PR consultant. “Holi in Odisha starts with a procession of lord Krishna in a decorated veemana (palanquin). People carrying the idols and those following it smear each other with colours. This marks the start of the festival. The food is a huge part of the celebration. We make dahi bara (lentil dumplings in whipped curd) which is served with a spicy aloo dum and ghugni (a dried peas dish). For sweet, there is gujiya, manda pitha (fried dumpling with coconut and jaggery filling) and kakera (steamed and deep fried pancakes),” explains Pani.
They also make their own version of thandai which is a mixture of yoghurt, mashed bananas, shredded coconut, crushed pepper and sugar. “It helps hydrate the body after playing with colours under the scorching sun,” Pani adds.
How Jaipur celebrates Holi
Holi in the Pink City used to be dominated by a glittering elephant procession, led by the maharaja swaying atop a giant tusker. The event has been banned since 2012 due to concerns over animal welfare, but Jaipur remains a Holi hotspot.
Apart from the gulaal play, Holi here is marked by ‘gulal gotas’ (hollow balls of lac filled with gulal). People toss them on each other, when it breaks, gulal spills in a riot of colours. According to old-timers, royal families were the ones who started this friendly battle of lac balls and are still the ones who are keeping this charming tradition alive. Back in the days, members of the royal family wandered around on their horses splattering gulal gotas on unsuspecting Holi revelers on the streets! You can still find gota sellers in the lanes of Hawa Mahal and Choti Chaupar. These days, the main highlight is the Holi party on the lawns of Khasa Kothi Hotel.
Organised by Rajasthan Tourism, it involves dances, traditional food cultural events and Rajasthani folk music. Tickets fly out like gold dust.
Fighter Holi of Punjab
The Sikh community in Punjab celebrates ‘Hola Mohalla,’ which looks, sounds and feels like Holi for warriors. Thousands of Nihang Sikhs dressed in ceremonial garb arrive at Anandpur Sahib to display their martial skills, horse riding, combat drills and 'gatka' or mock-battles to the people gathered there. This is later followed by music, dance and colour play.
Why do women beat men with lathis for Holi in Barsana?
In Barsana, Mathura and Vrindavan areas, women run after men with sticks (aka lathis) and playfully hit them during Holi celebration. The men come prepared with a dhal or shield. Hence it is called Lathmar Holi, and is celebrated a week before the Holi festival. Thousands of people gather to witness this frenzied version of Holi. Men and women sing popular Holi songs and shout chants to Radha and Krishna.
The celebration is said to be a recreation of a famous Hindu legend, according to which, Lord Krishna (who hailed from Nandgaon) visited his beloved Radha's town, Barsana. Legend goes that Krishna teased Radha and her friends, who in turn responded by driving him out of Barsana. In tune with this legend, the men from Nandgaon visit the town of Barsana every year, only to be greeted by the lathis of the women there. The unlucky ones are captured by the enthusiastic women, who then make the men wear women's clothing and dance in public. The festivities take place at the sprawling campus of the Radha Rani temple in Barsana, which is said to be the only temple in the country dedicated to Radha.
After hours of throwing colours and raining blows, both men and women cool off with dahi vadas with a generous sprinkling of cumin powder, chat masala and some pomegranate seeds. Motichur laddoos also make a special appearance on this day.
Ash play in Varanasi
Shiv devotees and domas (crematorium workers) in Varanasi play Holi with ashes from the burning pyres at the ghats. As macabre as it may sound, it is actually part of the local culture where death is not something to be feared. “Masan Holi or raakh Holi is a very ancient ritual... People of Varanasi believe that we are born from ash and go back to being ash.
Death is not something they fear. For them, dying signifies moksha. The ritual begins with people offering prayers to Mahashamashan Nath, the lord of the cremation ground, after which they not only smear each other with ash but also sing and dance to drum beats,” explains Devesh Agarwal, historian and tour guide in Varanasi. After the ash play, gujjias (fried dumplings stuffed with a khoya and dried fruit mixture), malpuas (fried pancakes) and thandai (cold milk with nuts and spices) are relished by everyone.
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