Holi celebrations begin in India with local festival

Mar 22, 2013

Holi celebrations begin in India with local festival

Michael Gold 1 Comment World colors, festival, Hindu, Hinduism, Holi, holidays, India, religion, Spring

On March 27, Hindus across India and the Indian diaspora will observe Holi, a festival that in part marks the beginning of spring. In celebration, Hindu devotees spend the day smearing colored powder on each other’s faces and throwing colored water at friends and family, leading to Holi’s status as India’s “Festival of Colors.”

Local Holi celebrations often begin earlier, including Lathmar Holi in the northern Indian town of Barsana. Unique to the Lathmar Holi tradition is a ceremony where women use long sticks to beat men who sing provocative songs to invite their attention.

: Hindu devotees throw colored powder at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Hindu stands in a beam of sunlight amid a cloud of colored powder at a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 21, 2013. In a Holi tradition unique to Barsana and Nandgaon villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then “beat” them with bamboo sticks called “lathis”. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: Hindus throw colored water at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Hindus throw colored powder at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27.(Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Hindu worshippers throw colored powder at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27.(Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Hindus throw colored powder at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Indian Hindu devotees covered in colored powder look on at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: A Hindu devotee plays a drum in a cloud of colored powder inside a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In a Holi tradition unique to Barsana and Nandgaon villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then “beat” them with bamboo sticks called “lathis.” Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: The colourd feet of a Hindu devotee are pictured outside a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: Indian Hindu devotees celebrate outside at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)

: Hindu devotees play with color during Lathmar Holi celebrations on March 21, 2013 in the village of Barsana, near Mathura, India. The tradition of playing with colors on Holi draws its roots from a legend of Radha and the Hindu God Krishna. It is believed that young Krishna was jealous of Radha’s fair complexion since he himself was himself very dark. After questioning his mother Yashoda on the darkness of his complexion, Yashoda, teasingly asked him to color Radha’s face in which ever color he wanted. In a mischievous mood, Krishna applied color on Radha’s face.(Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: Hindu devotees throw colored powder at a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: Hindu devotees throw colored water at each other at a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh March 21, 2013. In a Holi tradition unique to Barsana and Nandgaon villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then “beat” them with bamboo sticks called “lathis”. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, heralds the beginning of spring and is celebrated all over India. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: A Hindu devotee looks on in a cloud of colored powder inside a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: Transgender Hindu devotees dance as others play with color during Lathmar Holi celebrations on March 21, 2013 in the village of Barsana, near Mathura, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: Hindu devotees play with color during Lathmar Holi celebrations on March 21, 2013 in the village of Barsana, near Mathura, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: A Hindu devotee pours colored water on people entering a temple during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh on March 21, 2013. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: A group of women stand while holding sticks during Lathmar Holi at the village of Barsana in the northern Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. In a Holi tradition unique to Barsana and Nandgaon villages, men sing provocative songs to gain the attention of women, who then “beat” them with bamboo sticks called “lathis”. (Vivek Prakash/Reuters)

: Hindu devotees play with color during Lathmar Holi celebrations on March 21, 2013 in the village of Barsana, near Mathura, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: A boy looks on as Hindu devotees play with color during Lathmar Holi celebrations on March 21, 2013 in the village of Barsana, near Mathura, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty Images)

: An Indian laborer packs colored powder, known as “gulal”, to be used during the forthcoming spring festival of Holi, on the outskirts of Siliguri on March 20, 2013. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival colours observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, will be celebrated March 27 this year. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images)

: Indian laborers prepare colored powder, known as “gulal”, to be used during the forthcoming spring festival of Holi, on the outskirts of Siliguri on March 20, 2013. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Indian laborer sifts coloured powder, known as “gulal”, to be used during the forthcoming spring festival of Holi, on the outskirts of Siliguri on March 20, 2013. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival colours observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, will be celebrated March 27 this year. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images)

: An Indian laborer leaves footprints as he sifts colored powder, known as “gulal”, to be used during the forthcoming spring festival of Holi, on the outskirts of Siliguri on March 20, 2013. Holi, the popular Hindu spring festival colours observed in India at the end of the winter season on the last full moon of the lunar month, will be celebrated March 27 this year. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images)

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