Holi in 2024 in Mathura | Festival of Colors | Festival of Love

One of India’s most vibrant and well-known holidays is Holi. People put their disagreements and problems aside on this day, which is also known as the “Festival of Colors”. In order to celebrate Holi, friends, family, neighbors, and bystanders gather to rub color powder, also known as gulal, on one another.

The event is observed until Rang Panchmi in remembrance of Radha’s divine love for Krishna in the Braj area of India, the birthplace of the Hindu deity Krishna. Holi is celebrated as a festival of love, and the celebrations mark the formal start of spring.

There’s also a symbolic narrative attached to celebrating Krishna. Krishna’s dark complexion came about as a result of the she-demon Putana poisoning him when he was still a baby through her breast milk. Because of his dark skin tone, Krishna used to wonder if the fair-skinned Radha would like him. After growing weary of his plight, his mother encourages him to go up to Radha and beg her to paint whatever color on his face. After she completed this, Radha and Krishna started relationships. The joyful coloring of Radha and Krishna’s faces has been celebrated as Holi ever since.

Holi began on Falgun Purnima, also known as “Choti Holi.” People celebrate Holi by lighting a bonfire in the evening, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil, or “Holika Dahan.” The following day, families and friends get together early in the morning and begin playing with colors.

Holi 2024 – Dates and Timing

When	Time	Event Name	Where
17-March-2024	–	Laddu Holi	Radha Rani Temple Barsana
18-March-2024	Afternoon	Lathmar Holi	Radha Rani Temple Barsana
19-March-2024	Afternoon	Lathmar Holi	Nand Gaon
20-March-2024	–	Phoolwalon Ki Holi	Bankey Bihari Temple Vrindavan
Dates To be Announced soon	Day	Rangotsav and Other Special Events	Shri Krishna Janam Sthan All over mathura
21-March-2024	Day	Chadimar Holi / Gokul Holi	Gokul, Mathura
24-March-2024	Morning	Vrindavan Holi	Shree Bankey Bihari Temple Mathura
24-March-2024	12:00 Noon	Holi Ka Dola	Dwarkadheesh Temple, Mathura
24-March-2024	Evening to Late Night	Holika Dahan	Holi Gate Mathura
25-March-2024	Morning to whole Day	Holi Celebration	Dwarkadheesh Temple, Mathura Entire Country
26-March-2024	Morning	Huranga Holi	Dauji Temple, Baldeo Village Mathura

Why you should visit Mathura for Holi celebration?

Nearly all of India celebrates Holi with great enthusiasm. But, Mathura celebrates Holi a little differently. People celebrate Holi with great zeal and remember many of their experiences. Among them are:

Holi in Banke Bihari Temple, Vrindavan

The Holi celebrations in Vrindavan, begin one day before of the major event. The temple doors open at approximately nine in the morning, allowing guests to play Holi with Lord Krishna. People are happy and flinging colors all over the temple’s premises. Locals toss colored water from their balconies as you leave the exit gates. Starting from the parking area, the entire path is quite colorful. People dance while rubbing and flinging colored water and Gulal at one another. They also bring other instruments, such as the Dhol, a rhythm instrument from North India.

Holi in Dwarkadheesh Temple, Mathura

In Dwarkadheesh Temple event takes place on the main Holi day. The celebrations start early morning with people gathering and playing Dhol inside the Temple premises and dancing. People drink Bhang (a traditional weed drink made of cannabis leaves) from the Bhang shops. The environment inside the Temple is magical which make your feet start dancing.

One should reach there early morning to be the part of this event. Slowly the crowd got increased and it will be too rush to handle. So the organizers start pushing people out so other people can also play Holi.

Holika Dahan at Holi Gate

Holika Dahan celebrated to burn the “Holika” who tried to kill his nephew “Prahalad – Devotee of Lord Vishnu” by following the order of his brother who is also the father of Prahalad. Holika got the power that fire can’t harm her on the understanding that she should not use this power to harm other people.

So Holika sat on fire with his nephew thinking she will survive but because of the prayer of Prahald Lord Vishnu saved the prahalad from fire and Holika died in this process. After it every year this day is celebrated as a Holika Dahan. Every person bring one or two stick to the bonfire of holika. On the Falgun Purnima the Holika Dahan took place in the form of huge Bonfire.

Now on the Holi Gate the celebration is in very high intensity. Everything is well organized, A stage will be setup and different performances by different art group will be presented. After all the performances music will be opened for all and everyone start dancing and enjoying the moment.

Holi ka Dola in Mathura or Holi Parade in Mathura

This is celebrated a day before the main Holi. It basically a procession in which 5 or 7 vehicle are decorated. Kids are dressed like Radha and Krishna moving DJ’s playing songs and other bands also performing. People are throwing colors and dancing.

This procession starts from Holi Gate and ends at DwarkaDheesh Temple. This event is full of madness and one must be the part of this event if you are in mathura this day. This Happen at around 2:00 PM.

Huranga Holi or Dauji Ka Huranga at Dauji Temple, Baldeo

This event took place in Dauji Temple in a small village called Baldeo. This is one of the craziest Holi we have seen so far. The clebration starts next day of Holi. Where women strips the clothes of man and wet those clothes and beat the man from those we clothes. There are hundreds of women inside the temple premises when the gates were opened for men to enter than women attack on men and strip their clothes.

Huranga Holi in Dauji Temple

The celebration happened among the family and you can only witness this craziness and click the photographs. In the last hour even outsiders also not safe because you will become the part of event also. Reach there at around 8 am or even more early is good to get a good spot.

Other Notable Holi Event

The event described above can be planned easily for almost every working guys. There are few more holi event which one can try if you have 6 or 7 good days in hand.

1. Phoolon Wali Holi, Vrindavan
2. Widow’s Holi, Vrindavan
3. Lathmar Holi, Barsana
4. Lathmar Holi , Nandgaon

Our Itinerary or 3 Days Holi Itinerary in Mathura

Day 1

One can start the trip a day before actual Holi and can leave early in the morning from Delhi at around 4:00 AM so that he can reach to “Bankey Bihari Temple, Vridavan” where one can enjoy the Holi. Once you reached to the vrindavan park you vehicle in the parking near the barriers and took E-Rikshaw to reach near the Temple. After a certain distance one need to walk to the temple. Once you enter the Vrindavan you will start feeling the atmosphere.

After “Bankey Bihari Temple” you should left the place at around 12:00 PM. Now reach to the Mathura and visit local market eat local food and be there for some time. You can ask local people about the “Holi ka Dola” and stay there to be the part of it.

Around 8:00 PM go to Holi Gate and enjoy the “Holika Dahan ” the dahan took place at around 10:00 or 11:00 but before that enjoy the folk performances by the artist. After Holika Dahan go to your Hotel or Dharamshala.

Day 2

Start this day early in the morning at around 6 or 7 depending on your hotel location. Just reach the Dwarkadheesh Temple at around 7:00 AM for the second day madness, have a light dhandai or bhang and enjoy the Holi.

Once you are finished in dwarkadheesh temple go to market and taste the “kachori”. Go to local places like Krishna Janam Bhumi, Ghats, Radha Kund etc. In the evening visit the “Vishram Ghat” for the “Aarti” and you can also do boating around the place. After all this go to your hotel.

Day 3

We consider this day a half day as we leave early in the morning for “Dauji Temple in Baldeo” for the Huranga Holi which starts at around 8 am so you should reach there before it. Be the part of this event and this event will got over at around 12:30 after which you can leave for Delhi.

Short Itinerary

Day1

• Delhi – Bankey Bihari Temple,vridavan reach at around 7:00 AM
• Bankey Bihari Temple – Dwarkadheesh, mathura for Holi Da Dola reach at around 1:00 PM
• Dwarkadheesh – Holi Gate for Holika Dahan Reach at around 7:00 PM

Day 2

• Hotel – Dwarkadheesh Temple reach at around 7:00 AM
• Dwarkadheesh to Janam Bhumi around evening
• Vishram Ghat 7:00 PM for aarti

Day 3

• Hotel – Dauji Temple , Baldeo reach at around 7:00 AM
• Dauji Temple – Delhi Leave at around 2:00 PM

FAQ

Is it safe for women?

well this is the question asked by many people and I can say that it is completely safe. I have seen women and they enjoyed it a lot.

Where to stay?

Please book your hotel near Dwarkadheesh temple or Holi gate. Because most of the event will took place near to Dwarkadheesh Temple. You can also go for Dharamshala’s which will not offer you great rooms and amenities but a basic room with some bedding arrangement will be there with very low price.

What will be the cost of the Trip?

Well this is completely depends on how you spend money. Hotels will be very costly during Holi. We stayed in Dharamshala and the total trip cost us around 4000 for 2 people.

Where to Eat?

There are lot of good shops in the market and kachori is one of the dish you must try in mathura.

Humble Request

Please be a responsible traveler and don’t litter these awesome places. Always use dustbin.

Don’t throw plastic waste here and there and try to use as minimum as possible. Always keep a small trash bag with you.