Holi is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Holi in Braja is celebrated for several days, at different places around
Braja, before the actual day of Holi.
People throw colored powdered dye and colored water on each other. This
is joyfully celebrated in Braja, especially at Varsana, Nandagram and
Dauji. In Varsana the festival includes colorful processions with music,
song, dance, and some boisterous scenes around the temples. If you go
to these festivals you should expect to be totally covered in dye and
never to be able to use the clothes that you are wearing again, at least
until next year's festival. This is celebrated at the same time as Gaura
Purnima.
Varsana Groups of visitors go around in small and large groups
here. In the afternoon gopas (men) from Nandagram come to Varsana and
play Holi with the local gopis (women) of Varsana. The women hit the men
hard with 2 ½m (7ft) long bamboo staffs. The men have shields which they
protect themselves with. During this time local songs are sung. This festival
is celebrated on the ninth day of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Nandagram The day after the Holi festival at Varsana, Holi is celebrated
in Nandagram. The gopas (men) from Varsana come to Nandagram to play Holi
with the gopis (women) there. The flag of the Larily Lal Temple in Varsana
is carried in an elaborate procession to Nandagram. At this time the residents
of Nandagram attempt to capture the flag, but their attempts are foiled.
After this, women play Holi with bamboo staffs. This festival is celebrated
on the tenth day (dasami) of the month of Phalguna (Feb-March).
Phalen On the full moon night in Feb/March a huge bon-fire is burned.
One of the local priests walks through the fire unscathed. One story about
Holi is that Prahlada Maharaja refused to worship his father and wanted
to worship his father's enemy, Lord Vishnu instead. His father's sister
Holika, who was immune to being burned, sat with the boy in a big fire.
Prahlada's devotion was so great that Holika was burnt to death and Prahlada
was unharmed. The Holi festival at Phalen re-enacts this event.
Dauji (Baldeo) The festival here is a pretty wild event. Women
pore buckets of colored water on the men. The men are also thrashed with
whips made of cloth, which has been torn apart from men's clothing. The
men can not touch the bodies of the women or unveil their faces. From
the roof of the temple; basketfuls of colored powder are emptied on participants
and onlookers, creating a thick haze of colors.
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