It’s the time of the year again when Big B’s powerful voice starts crooning the ever-green ‘O rang barse bheege, chunar waali rang barse’ in every corner of the city. Holi is when colours and gulaal is everywhere in the air and when every second person paint your face with different colours screaming, ‘Bura na mano, holi hai..!’. But this is not the only way Holi is celebrated throughout India. Our country is the epitome of diversity and a beautiful blend of different cultures and traditions and this is experienced with each state’s unique style of celebrating the colourful festival.
Hola Mohalla – Punjab
Also known as Warrior Holi, it is celebrated by Nihang Sikhs a day after Holi festival. The warriors (participants) exhibit martial arts, kushti to show their strength and courage. Poems are also recited by the warriors. It is followed by the usual colour Holi in the evening.
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This unique style of celebration was started by Sikh guru Guru Gobind Singh in 1701. The guru started the tradition of mock battles and poetry contests and since then it spread from Anandpur Sahib to Kiratpur Sahib.
Lathmar Holi – Uttar Pradesh
The Holi celebration in Barsana, Mathura and Vrindavan regions are the most unique as here women chase men and beat them up with lathis (sticks) as a part of tradition. Hence it is called the Lathmar Holi. It is celebrated a week before the Holi festival.
The tradition dates back to Dwaparyug, when Lord Krishna came to meet his beloved Radha and mischievously teased her and her friends. To take revenge, the women of the village chased him away with lathis. To keep the tradition alive, every year men from Nandgaon visit Barsana to be welcomed by sticks. Women chase them with sticks and men try to escape, however few gets captured who are then taken to entertain women. These men are made to wear female clothes and dance in public.
Kumaoni – Uttar Pradesh
Kumaoni Holi is celebrated in the Kumaon village of Uttar Pradesh. The festival marks the triumph of good over evil and the beginning of the sowing season. The festival is celebrated in three different forms –
Baithaki Holi – It is celebrated by musical performances at local community centres and the songs are based on the life of Lord Krishna. The songs are sung with classical instruments –table and harmonium.
Khadi Holi – Men sport traditional attires and sing and dance on Holi songs to the tunes of Dhol and Hurka.
Mahila Holi –The celebration is similar to ‘Baithaki Holi’ but is exclusively organised for women.
Dol Jatra – Bengal
The celebration is a tribute to Lord Krishna. On this day, devotees place the idol or image of Radha and Krishna in a palanquin decorated with flowers, leaves and clothes. Devotees swing the palanquin in the procession, singing songs and dancing. Men spray colours and water on the devotees.
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Yaosang –Manipur
The colourful and biggest festival of Manipur is celebrated for five days and is called as ‘Yawol Shang’ as a tribute to Manipur god ‘Pakhangba’. The festival begins after the sunset with the burning of hut tradition called ‘Yaosang Mei Thaba’ and is followed by children visiting every home to seek monetary donation called ‘nakatheng’. On the second day, performance of local bands are organised in temples. On the second and third day, girls seek monetary donation from friends and relatives. While the last two-days are celebrated with colours and water.
Phaguwa – Bihar
On the evening of Phalgun Poornima, people light the Holika pyre to get rid of evil spirits and end conflicts by meeting each other. The next day Holi is played with colours, water and folk songs. Holi in the state also calls for consumption of ‘Bhaang’.
Royal Holi – Udaipur
The festival of colours is celebrated royally in the city of kingdoms. The Royal Holi celebration by the Mewar’s royal family is picturesque. The current custodian of the Mewar dynasty lights the Holi bonfire. It is followed by the colourful and fancy procession that consists of horses and royal bands.
Also read: Why do we celebrate Holi? Mythological, cultural, social and biological meaning explained
Rang Panchami – Maharashtra
Maharashtra celebrates Holi in the most exciting way possible. The festival is celebrated after the sunset on Purnimasi tithe by burning Holika symbolizing the victory of good over evil. People utter some weird sound smacking their mouth with the hands.
The next day, Phalgun Krushnapaksh Panchami, is called ‘Rangpachami’. On this day people sprinkle colour, gulaal and water on each other. Gorging on the state’s Holi special delicacy called ‘Puran Poli’ is a must here. The festival is popular among the fisher folk where they celebrate by singing, dancing and preparing delicious delicacies as an offering to god.
Manjul Kuli – Kerala
Holi is known as Manjul Kuli in Kerala and not celebrated in a grand scale like other states in India. On the first day people visit temple, while on the second day people spray coloured water containing turmeric on each other and dance on traditional folk songs.
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Shigmo – Goa
The festival is celebrated by organising parades of traditional folk and street dances. Boats are made decorated with religious and regional mythology themes. Shigmo is celebrated as a carnival of folk songs and dances. It has two forms of celebration: Dhakto Shigmo and Vhadlo Shigmo meaning small and big respectively. Dhakto Shigmo is celebrated by rural population, farmers and labour class, while Vhadlo Shigmo is celebrated by everyone else.
