A Guide to HoliOur guide to the festival of Holi in India to prepare you for your Holi tour.

An introduction to Holi

A tour group celebrating Holi
A tour group celebrating Holi

Every year India becomes alive in an explosion of colour and excitement as people across the country celebrate Holi. Dating back all the way to the 4th century, Holi is a significant festival for the Hindu faith and is celebrated across the world, but the biggest celebrations happen in India. Visiting India during the Holi festival is an experience like no other. Watch as the street come alive with hundreds of people all throwing colourful powder at one another as musicians play on in the background adding to the festivities.

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What is Holi?

Holi
Holi

Holi is a Hindu festival that essentially celebrates the triumph of good over evil. Coinciding with the end of winter, it is treated as a time to give thanks for a good harvest and to come together and to end any conflicts you may have with others. Known as a festival of colour, the word 'Holi' is derived from the name of the Hindu demoness 'Holika'. The legend of Holi goes as follows: Holika was the sister of the arrogant demon king Hiranyakashyap, who demanded that everyone in his kingdom worship him. His son, Prahlada, remained loyal to Lord Vishnu, which enraged his father. In an attempt to kill his son for his treachery, Hiranyakashyap had Holika trick Prahlada into entering a burning pyre, knowing that his sister would be unharmed for she was immune to fire. Prahlada entered the fire chanting Lord Vishnu's name, and he was blessed with his life, whereas Holika unknowingly sacrificed her own as she was only immune when entering fire alone. It is thought that Lord Vishnu then appeared and killed Hiranyakashyap in an act of good over evil. The next day people gathered around the debris of the fire and smeared their faces with ash. Over time this morphed into the use of coloured powder.

Krishna is also associated with Holi due to his blue skin, which was a result of the she-demon Putana poisoning him with her breast milk. Young Krishna was worried that girls would not like the colour of his skin and so his mother encouraged him to playfully colour the face of Radha so that they would be equal. Their relationship is honoured in the act of applying coloured powder to friends, family and even strangers.

How is Holi celebrated?

Holi celebrations
Holi celebrations

The first day of Holi begins with bonfires, where people gather and watch as effigies of Holika are burnt on them. This represents the triumph of good over evil and people gathered sing, dance and perform religious rituals and prayers in the hope that evil will be destroyed as Holika was. The next day is the main day where people celebrate by throwing colourful powders or water on each other. People gather wishing each other a happy Holi and paint each other’s faces with the colourful powder. Families and friends gather for traditional food and drinks such as thandai and kachoris, which are enjoyed in good company.

When is Holi celebrated?

Holi celebrations
Holi celebrations

The Holi festival takes place over two days across India. In some parts of India the festival is celebrated over the course of two weeks. It starts on the day of the full moon in the month of Phalguna, the twelfth month of the Hindu calendar. This coincides with the period between late February and mid-March in the Gregorian calendar.

Next Holi Date

Friday 14th March 2025

Our top tips for Holi

Brimming with vitality, Holi can nevertheless be a potentially overwhelming event if you go in underprepared. Therefore, it's a good idea to make sure you're properly ready before you head out onto the streets to join in the fun. Follow these basics to get the most out of your Holi experience.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Wear old clothes

The dyes used in the coloured powders leave stains so don't wear anything that you're not prepared to leave behind. If you can buy a white top and trousers when you get to India - clothing is cheap and the white shows off the colours beautifully.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Wear closed shoes

The streets get very crowded during Holi and it's best to keep your toes covered as it's likely you'll have your feet trodden on during the furore.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Leave your valuables behind

On the day of Holi you'll want to be moving around as light as possible without the worry of anything getting broken, damaged or lost.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Cover your camera

There's no doubt you'll want to snap the event, but the combination of water and fine powder can cause all sorts of trouble for your camera so wrap it securely in plastic, use a protective filter on the lens or ditch the expensive SLR for a cheap and cheerful disposable camera.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Protect your hair and eyes

Unless you want to have streaks of pink in your hair for weeks after Holi, consider applying coconut oil to your strands before you join the revelry. This will stop the dyes from staining your hair. Alternatively, wear a hat or tie your hair up in a scarf. And wear sunglasses to keep your eyes covered. It's also recommended to pre-apply an oil-based moisturiser to your skin to try and stop dyes sticking to your skin and paint your nails as a barrier against the dyes. If you're worried about staining your teeth, consider wearing a mouth guard.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Use naturally dyed colour powder

Shop around for quality powders and stick to red and pink colours as these are more likely to be made from natural dyes. It's much easier to wash off and is non-toxic.

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Essential tips to help you enjoy Holi

Save washing until it's

You may be tempted to wash as soon as you've had enough of the celebration, but others may not yet be finished so wait until the very end of the day when you will no longer be out in public and away from anymore colour throwing!

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