Holi in Vrindavan

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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 all and only had so much time for their yatra. Needless to

say they were a little disappointed.

 

Holi will start on Mar. 19th (Naumi) in Varsana, something worth experiencing

once in a lifetime. But be warned, you may spend two hours getting out of the

parking lot. 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 colors 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 the shield 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 20th (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 that 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 Loi

Bazaar for shopping or to different temples for darshan.

 

This all goes on up till the purnima, with everyone being fair game. This 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. But most places it is

all over.

 

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

you have now been warned.

 

In service of Sri Sri Krishna Balaram,

Deena Bandhu dasa