Holi Festival in India

Even as winter gives way to summer, people of northern and eastern India rejoice in the color of joy in the festive mirth of Holi. The festival of color is an occasion for unadulterated joy and merriment. Music, dance, lots of bright color make the festival very entertaining. With the winter neatly tucked up for another year, it is time to enjoy the approaching spring with full gusto. Indeed Holi is the swan song of spring and heralds summer.

Holi is the festival that celebrates the brotherhood of man. Things that can be pretty offensive at other times are quite permitted during Holi. Smearing friends with color is a common practice but in this day people take the liberty to smear even complete strangers with color. This is acceptable and people hardly ever complains.

Holi as a festival has a number of associations with mythology. There is the story of Holika and Prahlad whereby the demon was burnt while the innocent boy escaped unharmed. Again there is the popular story of Radha and Lord Krishna. Legend has it that Lord Krishna would smear color on Radha.

During the time of Holi i.e. in the month of March, India can be a fascinating place for tourism. Especially in Northern India, Holi is celebrated with a gusto that you will not find anywhere else. In Delhi, the city is bedecked with colors of different hue. Holi in Rajasthan has also become a celebration of tourist importance. Here it will be an experience of a completely different kind to climb atop an elephant and throw color powder on people.

Celebration also reaches dizzying heights in Mathura and Varanasi. The places are very much associated with the legends of Lord Krishna. Holi in these places can be a lot of fun. These are the place where you must be at Holi to celebrate with the whole of India. The celebration of Holi in India is in keeping with the secular culture of the country. The entire population of the country, cutting across religious, racial, cultural and regional divides cherish the occasion.