Holi is celebrated in India at the end of the winter season, the last full moon day of the lunar month of Phalguna, according to the Hindu calendar, which usually falls in February or March of each year. In 2020 Holi starts on March 10th and the Indians all celebrate it.
It is also known as Dhuli, in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi or festival of colors. The festival, which represents a greeting to spring, the season that symbolises love and fertility, has various purposes including, in ancient times, to commemorate good harvests. But its purpose is above all religious, linked to Hindu mythology, even if celebrated in a particular way and distant from the religious rituals that characterise other holidays. During this event, the participants throw themselves on powder, of natural origin, of all colors, even using balloons and coloured water guns and in short, any other tool that allows them to "get to the mark". Holi lowers the severity of social norms for that moment of celebration, because on that day there seem to be no differences between people of different caste, between men and women and between rich and poor who, all together, indulge in fun and joy. Nobody expects polite behaviour, as a result, the atmosphere is full of emotion and spontaneity.
Yours tour
When planning your trip, remember these dates. There is no limit to the imagination that allows you to organize your trip as you wish. The beginning of the itinerary could be Delhi, the capital metropolis of India, with a stop in the pink city of Jaipur, a great place to attend the holi, considering also that Jaipur already has many colors that characterize it; then continuing towards Agra, the place where the legendary and magnificent Taj Mahal stands, with a stop also at the beautiful Fatehpur Sikri. And here is the so-called Golden Triangle of the three cities Delhi, Jaipur, Agra. Or you can head to the North, in Punjab, in the Land of the Sikhs, the ancient warriors taking the opportunity to visit the Golden Temple of Amritsar. If, on the other hand, the weather is not a tyrant for you, you can plan other visits to as many cities and wonderful monuments such as Udaipur, Orcha, Kajuraho, Varanasi, the sacred city par excellence, just to name a few ... Remember that Holi is mainly a North Indian festival and this is where it is most lively as in the south the festival focuses more on religious rituals and celebrations in temples. However, Hampi in Karnataka (South India) should be remembered, where the holi is festive, with drums, dances, and the evocative ruins of the great Vijayanagar Empire.
