2019 Holi Festival in India | Epic Festival of Colours Guide

Join thousands to usher in spring and celebrate the triumph of good over evil during a 2019 Holi festival in India. This rowdy festival of colours is the most anticipated national holiday in India. For two days, locals from Punjab to West Bengal join tourists to laugh, play and coat each other in vibrantly-colored powder. Check out 5 of the brightest places in India to celebrate Holi.

When is 2019 Holi Festival in India?

Holika Dahan: March 20

Holi Celebration: March 21

Holi is a spring festival and begins on the evening of the full moon, sometime between the end of February and mid-March. The first evening of the festival is called Holika Dahan (or Chhoti Holi), and the following day is known as Holi, or sometimes Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi or Phagwah. The traditions are rooted in Hindu beliefs, but everyone is welcome to celebrate Holi in India.

What is Holi?

Holi originates from two mythological stories and is celebrated with an evening bonfire the first night and a colorful parade of powder throwing parties the entire next day.

Holika Dahan: the first evening of Holi celebrates an ancient myth and the triumph of Prahlad over his demon father and sister, Hiranyakashayap and Holika. With the help of the Hindu god Vishnu, Prahlad defeated the demons by burning Holika in a fire. In turn, Prahlad was crowned king. Locals celebrate the ancient fable of good defeating evil by lighting bonfires, gathering with family to sing and dance and sometimes by drinking bhang, a tea-like drink made with cannabis.

Holi: the second day of Holi is sometimes called the “festival of colours” or the “festival of love.” This is the day when locals dust one another with colorful powders and squirt passersby with water guns. Rangwali Holi celebrates the love story of the Hindu deity Krishna and his lover Radha. As the legend goes, Krishna was not fond of Radha’s fair complexion, so his mother suggested smearing her skin with paint.

Best places to celebrate Holi in India during 2019

1. 2019 Holi festival in India | Delhi

Join a group of locals and celebrate Holi anywhere in Delhi. Traditional celebrations take place on the street and in public areas, and no space is off limits during this motley occasion. Find Indian street food, loud music and lots of dancing at parties across the city, or join an annual celebration guaranteed to brighten any holiday!

Pahargani: one of the best places to celebrate 2019 Holi is in the district of Pahargani. Known for its festive street parades and sneaky shopkeepers, Pahargani parties feature all-day music, dancing and a never-ending supply of Holi color powder.

Holi Moo Festival (formerly the Holi Cow Festival) : promising “color+moozik+madness,” the annual Holi Moo Festival takes place at a secret location in Central Delhi. Tickets are limited to about 400 people, and the venue is unknown until your driver drops you off! Event-goers enjoy free shuttles to and from any hotel in Delhi, and the event features four concert stages, a variety of bhang lassis and all the color powder participants can throw.

Things to do in Central Delhi

• Red Fort
• Jama Masjid
• Kashmiri Gate
• Kamla Nehru Ridge
• Roshanara Garden
• Qudsia Bagh
• Ashoka Market
• Indra Market

Check In to The Grand Imperial Heritage Hotel, Step Out to Red Fort

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2. 2019 Holi festival in India | Shantiniketan, West Bengal

In West Bengal, Holi is called Dol Jatra, Dol Purnima or the Swing Festival, and locals in Shantiniketan celebrate with lively parades, traditional dancing and a festival known as Basant Utsav. Meaning Spring Festival, Basant Utsav is a time when young boys and girls sing songs and perform dances to welcome the spring season. Students dress in the colors of spring and adorn themselves with fragrant strands of native flowers, and idols of Krishna and Radha are paraded through the streets amidst flying colors of festival-goers.

Note: the Shantiniketan Holi festival begins one day before the national holiday.

Things to do in Shantiniketan after Holi 2019

• Chhatim tala (Tagore’s Ashrama): this Shantiniketan landmark is the former home of Hindu philosopher Debendranath Tagore, who called the grounds his “Abode of Peace.”
• Visva-Bharati University: established in 1901 by Rabindranath Tagore, Visva-Bharati originally was structured to teach Tagore’s ideals in a natural environment. Tagore’s larger vision of founding a center of learning was achieved in 1913 after he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for Literature and used the award money to expand the school into a university. The campus received official accreditation as a university in 1951, shortly after India gained its independence. Today, Visva-Bharati University is known as one of India’s most renowned places of higher learning.
• Amar Kutir: pick up souvenirs at this local market known for its native handicrafts, batik clothing and hand-woven fabrics.
• Amar Kutir Eco Tourism Park: take a hike through a preserved forest area that features natural vegetation, hiking trails and duck ponds.
• Ballavpur Wildlife Sanctuary: spend a day exploring waterways and hiking trails that lead to religious monuments and historic landmarks.
• Nandan Art Museum and Gallery: enjoy indoor and outdoor displays of historical artwork and mesmerizing sculptures.

Check In to The Garden Bungalow, Step Out to Amar Kutir

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3. 2019 Holi festival in India | Punjab

Head to Anandpur Sahib to celebrate Holi with rambunctious Sikhs in larger-than-life turbans. In Punjab, annual festivities take place the day after Holi, and the all-day event is called Hola Mohalla. Rather than throwing colors, however, Punjabis display their physical strength in mock sword fights, martial arts performances and a unique contest of turban tying. Color throwing is downplayed at the Anandpur Sahib celebration, but the elaborate costumes make up for it! Festivities for Hola Mohalla finish when Nihang (Sikh warriors) parade through the streets fully armed wearing vivid blue tunics and elaborate turbans.

Top things to do in Punjab

• Golden Temple, Amritsar (Harmandir Sahib)
• Jallianwala Bagh memorial park
• MC Zoological Park
• Akal Takht
• Durgiana Temple
• Qila Mubarak, Patiala
• Qila Mubarak Gurudwara Sahib
• Wagah (border town between India and Pakistan)

Check In to Hotel Abode, Step Out to Golden Temple, Amritsar (Harmandir Sahib)

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4. 2019 Holi festival in India | Udaipur, Rajasthan

Spectacular is one way to describe the Holi festival in Udaipur, and the place to be is City Palace on the banks of Lake Pichola. During Holika Dahan, on the eve of Holi, the Maharaja of Mewar welcomes dignitaries and guests to City Palace, and a bonfire is lit on the palace grounds. Locals gather to perform folk dances around the fire, and royal family members make a procession through the crowd on camels, elephants and horses decked out in elaborate costumes. The parade begins at Shiv Niwas Palace and moves to City Palace, and the evening is capped with a fireworks display.

On the second day, locals and tourists celebrate Holi throughout the city by spraying wet and dry colors, shooting water guns at each other and feasting on traditional Indian desserts and street food.

Top 5 things to do in Udaipur

1. City Palace complex: this lakeside complex built more than 200 years ago features large and small palaces, museums and ornate gardens. Photographers enjoy a unique mix of Rajasthani, Mughal, Medieval, European and Chinese architecture.
2. Lake Pichola: explore marble temples, mansions and bathing ghats (steps leading into a body of water) at this fresh water lake built in 1362 AD.
3. Fateh Sagar Lake: adventure onto three islands, two of which are public parks, in the middle of this scenic lake built in 1678.
4. Jagdish Temple: admire ancient architecture and carvings at this revered religious site.
5. Udaipur Solar Observatory: visitors need permission from the government to visit this observatory on an island in Fateh Sagar Lake, but locals say the effort to visit one of Asia’s largest observatories is worth it.

Check In to Lake Pichola Hotel, Step Out to City Palace

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5. 2019 Holi festival in India | Barsana and Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh

Barsana is the birthplace of Radha, the lover of Krishna, and one of the main honorees of the Holi festival, so it’s no surprise that one of the best places to celebrate Holi is in Uttar Pradesh. During the first night of Barsana Holi, men from Nandgaon, the land of Krishna, travel to Barsana to get beaten by sticks! The tradition is drenched in playful tradition, lots of padding and tons of color. While being chased by stick-wielding women, men compete to raise a flag over Shri Radha Rani Mandir. Unsuccessful participants are sentenced to a public dance wearing women’s clothing. The following day, men are redeemed when they invade Nandgaon and drench women in Holi colors. Luckily, the women in Nandgaon are armed with sticks, too!

Best places to visit in Uttar Pradesh

• Lucknow: the capital of Uttar Pradesh is about 7 hours from Barsana, but the historical city is well worth the trip!
• Agra: only 2.5 hours from Barsana, Agra is home of the world-famous Taj Mahal and is also considered the tourist capital of India.
• Mathura: explore the birth place of Lord Krishna as well as landmarks like Shri Krishna Janmabhoomi and Vishram Ghat. Mathura is a 1-hour drive from Barsana.
• Varanasi: this sacred city is a day away (12 hours) from Barsana and much loved for its history and its proximity to the Ganges.
• Prayagraj (Allahabad) : considered a holy place, Prayagraj is where the Ganga, Yamuna and Saraswati rivers meet.

Check In to Hotel Radisson Blu Agra Taj East Gate, Step Out to the Taj Mahal in Agra during the 2019 Holi festival in India

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