Make The Most Of Holi, An Indian Cultural Experience

India’s Holi festival is the perfect event for anybody who longs for an opportunity to loosen up and party while maintaining the meaningfulness and sophistication of a tradition dating back thousands of years. It takes place over two days, usually around the end of February or the beginning of March. This makes for rich symbolism as a herald of spring. For locals, it holds other special significances: good vanquishing evil, and the celebration of love.

Read on to discover all you can about this legendary event – by the end of this article, you’ll be itching to pack up your favourite paints, invest in some comprehensive travel insurance and book a flight to India to become a part of Holi.

What is Holi?

Holi is a two-day spectacular display of fire and colour. On the evening of the first day, locals light great bonfires that all are encouraged to dance around. The real festivities begin the following morning, when thousands of people gather to shower each other with colourful dyes and paints. Young children will do their best to shoot you with water guns or plastic bottles filled with paint. Before you join in the joyful colouring, it’s a good idea to take a careful look at the friends you came with to make sure you will be able to recognise them afterwards!

Mythos

Two Indian legends are said to have given rise to the festival. According to one, the evil demoness Holika (whose name the festival bears) attempted to burn a young god, but was unsuccessful. The bonfires on the first night symbolise her defeat.

Another tale glorifies the love between god Krishna and mortal Radha. To declare his affection for her, he painted her face blue to match his own skin – a gesture of establishing the similarities and equality between them. In a like fashion, festivalgoers today colour each other’s faces and clothes, although the original blue has been supplemented by all the hues of the rainbow.

Which Towns to Paint Red

Although nowadays it is celebrated everywhere around the globe, some places are better than others to experience the Holi festival – predominantly in the northern parts of India. To witness it in its most authentic form, head to towns like Mumbai, Delhi and West Bengal. Determined partygoers are also encouraged to check out Mathura and Vrindavan, where the festivities carry on for more than a week.

Colour Yourself Safe

While the festival encourages everyone to let their hair down, women travelling alone should make sure to keep an eye open for potential troublemakers, as there have been instances of sexual harassment in the past. Your safety during your travels is the most important part, so it is worth investing in comprehensive travel insurance. This way, you can savour the spirit of this great cultural event while knowing that you are protected.

Ethan Bailey is an experienced adventure traveller and insurance expert with the team at Let's Go Insure. Ethan’s passion is to inspire his clients to go just that little bit further, deeper and higher on their travels and his expertise in providing the ideal insurance cover allows them to do just that. If you're looking for the best comprehensive travel insurance Let's Go works with the most experienced underwriters, intermediaries and insurers to offer a range of competitive insurance without compromising on cover.