Holi is around the corner and where else one could be but in Mathura to celebrate it at its best. Mathura is the birth place of one of the highly worshipped Hindu Gods, lord Krishna. Mathura along with the adjoining towns and villages like Vrindavan, Gokul, Barsana, Nandagaon and Govardhan are collectively known as Braj or Brij. Holi here in Braj starts a month before the actual Holi. However, the main celebrations, the Holashtak, happens to be of 8 days at 8 different locations. Here are the list of various events that take place:
Laddoo Maar Holi at Radha Rani Temple, (Barsana) | March, 2025
A day before the Holashtak, people gather here to take Darshan of deity and rush with the crowd to catch the Laddoo which Pujarijis throw from temple as a form of prasad. The Laddoo Maar starts roughly around 3-4 pm. You can come early to watch people playing with colors and enjoying on the tune of drums and songs.
Lathmar Holi (Barsana) | March 3rd, 2025
On first day of Holashtak, the famous Latha Maar Holi takes place in which the women of Barsana village playfully beat men who come from adjoining village of Nandagaon with a stick known as Latha. The entire day is full of celebrations. Whereas, the Latha Maar Holi starts around 4:30-5 pm on the streets down the temple. Leave early to avoid the rush of public returning to their respective places.
Lathmar Holi (Nandgaon) | March 4th, 2025
On the second day the women of Barsana go to Nandagaon to play Latha Maar Holi with men of Nandagaon at a ground near the main market of Nandagaon. It also starts at around 4:30-5 pm, but you must reach early to take better seats to enjoy the play as it’s crowded here.
Phoolon Wali Holi (Vrindavan) |
March 5th, 2025
Flower Holi or Phoolon wali Holi that takes place at Banke Bihari, the most famous temple in Vrindavan, here the worshipers are showered with flower petals throughout the day. This thorough engaging event commences at around 1 pm and continues for couple more days here this day is the grandest with use of around 1500 kgs of flowers.
Widow’s Holi (Vrindavan) | March 6th, 2025
Widow’s holi takes place at an Ashram built by Pagal Baba for widows to live. Widows, who generally wear white attire and refrain from using colors can be seen here playing with colors and flowers in huge numbers. The procession starts around 10-10:30 in the morning and goes for 3-4 hours.
Huranga Holi (Dauji Temple) |
March 7th, 2025
Celebrated after Holi, the Huranga festival is marked with strange rituals—men trying to drench women with water colours, and the women reciprocating by tearing off the wet clothes of the men and then whipping them with it. Huranga is traditionally played between “bhabhis” and “devars” (sisters-in-law and brothers-in-law), officials of the temple said. The Huranga Holi festivities typically take place between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m., showcasing the unique customs and vibrant spirit of the celebration.
Holika Dahan (Mathura & Vrindavan) | March 8th, 2025
A grand procession takes place from Dwarkadheesh Temple near Vishram Ghar to Holi Gate. Huge number of people take part in this procession and dance on folks songs to Bollywood numbers. The lane through which the procession goes is real narrow so it gets highly crowded. You often get hit by water balloons or water guns from the terrace of the houses on both sides of the street. The procession starts at around 2 pm and goes till sunset.
Rangwali Holi (Main Celebration) | March 9th, 2025
This is the day when the actual holi takes place in the country. You can see kids since early morning playing with water guns on each and every streets of Mathura or Vrindavan. Whereas the adults join the celebration at around 10 in the morning after doing the puja in their household. The best place to enjoy this is the main town area that includes, Holi Gate, Chhata Bazar, Vishram Ghat and nearby places.
CONCLUSION
Celebrating Holi in and around Mathura-Vrindavan is an unparalleled experience, steeped in devotion, colors, and festivity. Travel Design Pvt. Ltd. offers seamless, well-curated experiences. Our consolidated packages and bespoke travel services ensure you enjoy every moment stress-free, with premium stays, guided experiences, and insider access to the most spectacular Holi celebrations.
Article by Dr. Niraalee Shah,
Managing Director, Travel Design
