You Just Cannot ‘Maano Bura’ in the Holi Capital of India

(This story was originally published on 2 March 2018. It is being republished from The Quint's archives on the occasion of Holi 2024.)

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‘Radhe Radhe’.

That’s how you greet each other in the Braj Province of India. This was Lord Krishna’s playground, the towns of Vrindavan, Mathura, Barsana and Nandgaon. But in his land, everyone is greeted not by his name but by the name of his beloved, Radha.

Hit Me, Baby!

The legend of Radha and Krishna is the core of Holi celebrations in the Braj province. The highlight being the ‘Lathmaar Holi’ where women beat up the menfolk, who try to protect themselves with cushioned shields.

It is said that almost 5,000 years ago when Lord Krishna teased Radha, she got so upset that she hit him with a heavy stick or ‘Lath’.

‘Lathmaar’ holi is celebrated in Barsana and Nandgaon about a week before the actual Holi festival. On the first day, men from Nandgaon are beaten by the women from Barsana, and on the second day, the women of Nandgaon return the favour by beating up the men of Barsana. But on both days, what precedes the beating is a ritual of minor teasing of women by the men.

Even in that age, Lord Krishna propagated the idea of women empowerment through Lathmaar Holi. The shield is made with the hide of camel. The belief is that the shield is Balaram, Lord Krishna’s elder brother. And it is his elder brother who’s protecting Lord Krishna.

Dr Devendra Goswami

A Never-Ending Party

The Nandbaba temple in Nandgaon is a sort of party hub during Holi. It’s packed with thousands of coloured faces, people from across India and the world come here to drench themselves in colour and music. The Holi festivities start right after Basant Panchami, which is almost a month before actual Holi and peaks a week before Holi.

High on Holi

What is Holi without ‘bhang’? The concoction of cannabis, pepper, dry fruits and sugar can be had in many forms – mixed in a drink, fried, with sweet snacks. Apparently, it gives a high that no alcoholic drink can match.

This is Holi in its purest form, and it’s only here in India’s Holi capital that the mashup of tradition, fun and intoxication starts a party that goes on and on and on.

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