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Holi is not only a festival of vibrant colors, this festival also signifies unbridled laughter, joy, and vibrant celebration in different parts of India. Steeped in folklore and mythology, this ancient festival offers the tourists a unique experience. While the celebrations of Holi are joyous all around the country, some of the places truly stand out because of their cultural richness, unique traditions, and the distinct vibe of celebration. You can visit any of these places in a self-drive car rental and immerse yourself in the beautiful celebration.
In 2025, the colorful and vibrant occasion of Rangwali Holi will be celebrated on Friday, 14th March. The celebration will start on Thursday 13th March with Holika Dahan, a bonfire symbolizing the victory of good over evil.
If you are planning to join any of the biggest Holi celebrations in India this year, then here comes a guide for you:
If you want to explore and enjoy the traditional vibe of Holi in India, then these are the best places to visit. Mathura is the birthplace of Lord Krishna. Here the celebration starts with the locals performing rituals at their homes and temples. Then they plunge each other with colored powder or gulal or colored water. Soon the town gets drenched with colors. In Vrindavan, the celebration starts from the Banke Bihari Temple, on the day before Holi. Here people celebrate Holi by throwing flowers at each other. A procession begins in the early morning of the day of Holi from this temple to Mathura. Then the festival of colors starts at the Dwarkadheesh Temple at Mathura. People play with colors and then enjoy bhang at the Vishram Ghat.
If you are interested in a cultural Holi celebration or Basanta Utsav, then you have to visit Shantiniketan in West Bengal. This celebration was introduced by Nobel laureate poet Shri Rabindranath Tagore at his Viswa Bharati University. During this celebration, the students of the university get decked up in colorful attire, perform different cultural activities, and throw gulal (color powder) at each other. Tourists can also take part in this celebration.
Located near Mathura, Barsana and Nandgaon are two small towns where Holi is celebrated a little differently. Based on the Indian folklore, Barsana is the birthplace of Sri Radha. So, here people try to recreate the Holi celebration between Lord Krishna and Radha with Lathmar Holi a week before the actual Holi celebration in India. Men try to color women and women playfully beat them with large sticks. After celebrating it in Barsana, people reach Nandgaon on the next day to continue the celebration. To experience this unique celebration of Holi, book a self-drive vehicle from a reputable car rental in India service provider and reach Barsana on the 7th of March 2025 or before.
If you want to experience the masculine version of Holi in India, then visit Anandpur Sahib in Punjab. Here the main attraction of the Holi celebration is the Hola Mohalla fair, which has been organized since the beginning of the 18th century. In this fair, people demonstrate their physical abilities with mock wars, martial arts performances, military exercise performances, competitions, sword fights, etc. Besides, several discussions and poems are performed describing the courage of men and women during the war. You can reach this place easily by car rental from Chandigarh Airport.
This is another place in West Bengal where the Holi festival is celebrated for three days with folk arts. Here the celebration begins two days before the actual Holi celebration in India. And the locals celebrate with Chau Dance, Darbari Jhumur, Natua Dance, Baul Music, etc.
In this Northeastern state of India, the Holi celebration is converted to the vibrant Yaoshang festival. This is a five-six days long celebration that perfectly blends the vibrant colors with the cultural traditions of Manipur. So, by taking part in the Holi celebration in this state, you can experience its unique energy and rhythm as the air fills with the sounds of conventional music. Besides, here you can witness the beautiful “Thabal Chongba” celebration where a traditional folk dance is performed under the moonlight and local men and women dance gracefully in a circle, creating a beautiful spectacle. Another way to indulge in the cultural flavor of the vibrant Holi celebration in Manipur is by enjoying local delicacies like Chamthong and Paknam.
Also known as Varanasi, Benaras is known for an unforgettable and unique Holi celebration, showcasing the beautiful blend of playful rivalry and tradition. This is another place in North India where Lathmar Holi is celebrated. According to legend, Lathmar Holi was a unique Holi celebration between Radha and Krishna. It is said that Lord Krishna playfully teased Radha and her friends, resulting in playful retaliation with lathis or sticks. The celebration continues creating a boisterous and lively atmosphere. The epicenter of this exhilarating and unique celebration in Varanasi is the Ladliji Temple, a temple dedicated to Radha Rani.
If you are searching for one of the best places to visit in Holi to enjoy the royal grandeur, Udaipur is the destination to visit. Here Holi is celebrated as the day of the death of Holika, the demon aunt of Prahlad. So, the celebration symbolizes the victory of good over evil. On this day, the locals prepare large bonfires to celebrate the Mewar Holika Dahan ritual and ward away evil. The ritual begins with a regal touch where the ceremonial bonfire in the palace’s courtyard is lit by the Maharaja of the Royal family, who visit the ritual site with a royal band and a procession. The procession takes off from the Shambhu Niwas Palace and concludes at the royal residence of Manek Chawk. Once the celebration ends, a large effigy of Holika is burnt. The next day, people celebrate Holi by playing with colors and savoring traditional sweets and other delights.
Nestled on the banks of the Yamuna River in Uttar Pradesh, this is another popular place in India to celebrate Holi. Here people celebrate the festival of color with loads of pomp and vigor by playing with vibrant colors, dancing to melodious tunes, indulging in mouth-watering sweets and snacks, and gulping down glasses of thandai.
If you are planning a trip to Delhi on this Holi, then this can be a scintillating experience for you. The main attractions of the Holi celebration in Delhi are that people dance to the dhol beats and throw colors at each other. Besides, the roads are filled with beautiful pichkaris, clouds of gulal, and color-flooded water balloons. So, here you can indulge in playing organic colors, enjoy gala Holi celebrations at different private Holi celebrations and parties across Delhi, and savor many lip-smacking treats and bhang delights. Another thing you can do is to take part in the Holi Moo Festival where around 40 performers from different parts of the world take part. Besides, this festival is known for its color, food, music, and dance.
This is another famous place in India, known for its unique Holi celebration. Earlier, the Holi celebration was known as the Elephant Festival, where the main attractions were sprinkling colors on elephants, elephant beauty contests, folk dance and music, tug-of-war, etc. However, the celebration was banned in 2012. Now, the city gets painted in a rainbow during Holi. Other popular aspects are Water Cannon Bowls or Gulal Gotas, which make the Holi celebration in Jaipur a memorable affair. Besides, you can pay a visit to Govind Dev Ji Temple where Holi is celebrated beautifully.
If you are looking for the best place to celebrate Holi in the Southern part in full zest, you must visit Hampi. Here Holi is celebrated spiritually and different rituals and activities are performed in the ancient temples of the grand Vijayanagara Empire. By the end of these rituals, people play colors with each other with gulal. Then they dip in the Tungrabhadra River together to wash off their sins along with the colors, which has become another tradition. Another major attraction of the Holi festival in Hampi is the scope to indulge in different conventional snacks like malpuas, mathris, and gujiyas.
During Holi, India is converted into a wonderland of joy and colors, offering people some unforgettable experiences across diverse regions. So, whether you are attracted to the cultural richness of Manipur and Benaras or drawn to the spiritual charm of Vrindavan and Mathura, the ideal Holi celebration is waiting for you. So, pack your bags and book a self-drive car rental to embrace the vibrant colors and create memories that you will cherish for a lifetime.
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