Holi in Braja

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Just for your information, Holi in Vrindavan is celebrated for about a week

before Gaura Purnima. Last year some bhaktins from came South Africa for the

first time to Vrindavan during this time and ended up spending most of their

time in their guesthouse room afraid to come outside. They had taken breaks

from their jobs and only had so much time for their yatra. Needless to say they

were a little disappointed.

 

Holi will start on Mar. 8th (Naumi) in Varsana, something worth experiencing

once in a lifetime. But be warned, if you stick around for the grand finale,

you may spend two hours getting out of the parking lot after it is over.

Although colors are being thrown all day, the real festivities start in the

afternoon around 3 pm when the brahmanas from Nandagram come charging into the

Varsana Temple carrying the flag of Nanda-lala. After running all around the

temple they sit in the courtyard, which is an ocean of colored water, facing

all the brahmanas from Varsana and sing ancient Holi songs back and forth.

People are throwing colored powder from all the four corners of the singing

groups and there is a nice breeze on the hill of Varsana so you will see a red

cloud cutting across a yellow cloud. A blue cloud cutting across a pink one.

Green one cutting across red one. It all blows in the air and the scene looks

like something from Goloka Vrindavan. From the balcony they are shooting big

brass syringes (pichkaris) of yellow water made from a special dried flower.

The singers become completely black and blue from the mixture.

 

Then around 4:30 pm, the brahmanas from Nandagram go downstairs with big

turbans on their heads and carrying brightly colored rhinocerous-skin shields.

There in the street below, Rangili Gulli, the brahmanis of Varsana are waiting

for them with big thick long bamboo poles. The Nandagram brahmanas hurl insults

at the girls and squat down with their shields over their turbans and 4-5

brightly dressed girls wack them with all their might with their dandas. This

is the famous Latmar Holi of Varsana.

 

Then next day Mar 9th (dasami) the same thing happens in Nandagram with all the

Varsana brahmanas coming with turbans and shields and Radharani's flag. But

somehow there are more Nandagram brahmanis than Varsana brahmanas, so you will

see 6-7 of these girls letting these guys really have it! And the difference is

that is after it is over in Nandagram, you can easily get in your car and drive

away. There is not so much rush, but you essential can experience the same

thing that happened the previous day in Varsana.

 

>From the Ekadasi, Holi starts in Vrindavan, so watch out. Wherever you go, you

will be pelted with color and water. Except surprisingly, the main festival is

at Banke Bihari Ekadasi morning up till noon, where they only throw dry colors

and it is quite nicely done. There is no targetting of a particular gender or

color, but everyone is throwing color in the air and shouting, "Banke Bihari

Lala Ki Jaya!! I was very surprised how pleasantly it was done. Outside on the

streets coming and going, though, there is a bit of hooliganism with targetting

of a particular gender and especially color.

 

This goes on until sundown every day and after dark it is safe to go to

different temples for darshan or to Loi Bazaar for shopping.

 

This all goes on up till the Purnima, with everyone being fair game. Purnima is

the heaviest day. And then suddenly at noon on Purnima it all stops. There is

actually a law that it must stop at noon. And believe it or not, it is

practically the only law strictly followed in all of India. By 1 PM it is all

over. Everyone comes to 4:30 darshan with brand new white cloth or else the

marvelously colored cloth they wore all week and there is no more color

throwing!

 

In a few small villages around, they have their own day for Holi even after

this also. Like in Gokula, they celebrate on the Pancami after Gaura Purnima

(20th March). But most places it is all over.

 

So if you want to join in the fun, please be informed. Or if you want to avoid,

you have now been duly warned.

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa