Awaited and celebrated with the highest levels of enthusiasm, Holi in India is a festival that paints not just skin but also hearts with colors of happiness. There are a certain few places in the country where Holi celebrations hold a special meaning.

The choice of places to visit for Holi celebrations in India also varies as per the experiences you are looking forward to. Several activities and Holi traditions are celebrated as per the customs across the country but the preparations and celebrations set each apart. Marking the onset of the harvest season and spring, Holi infuses the atmosphere of unrestrained joy.

No wonder, India witnesses a huge influx of international tourists during Holi.

Best Places to Celebrate Holi Festival in India (2022)

Mathura, Uttar Pradesh

Mathura is one of those magical places. Here, Holi is not just a celebration where you people put colors on each other but much more. Famously called Braj ki Holi, Holi in Mathura is a spectacle that you’d want to witness at least once in your life. In and around Mathura, multiple kinds of Holi take place, each as good as the other.

Kumaoni Holi, Uttarakhand

Kumaon has a blend of different cultural traditions, and the region celebrates the festival of colors in a very unique and peaceful way. It is the perfect place to be for those who are looking forward to a soulful and musical Holi experience.

This festival holds a lot of importance for the Kumaonis as it celebrates the victory of good over evil and the beginning of the sowing season. It usually starts around the end of January and continues till the day of Holi, a two-month-long musical affair where the locals immerse themselves in the beautiful melodies of classical ragas. While you are there, explore the vibrant villages in Gori Ganga Valley.

Hola Mohalla, Anandpur Sahib

If you believe Holi is all about throwing colors at people, then head to Anandpur Sahib in Punjab for a very different kind of celebration. Processions with Nihang warriors dressed in their traditional blue attire and wielding weapons, people riding elephants and horses, mock battles, and display of martial prowess with swords and knives are the key features of the Hola Mohalla festival that is held at the same time as Holi.

Hola is the masculine form of Holi while Mohalla refers to the army column-style procession. The singing of kirtans and poetry recitations are also part of the celebration.

Barsana, Uttar Pradesh

Barsana is among the top places for Holi celebrations in India. Holi celebrations in Barsana are also known as Lathmar Holi that intrigue people. This is the Holi festival celebration with a twist where men need to safeguard themselves from the playful beatings by women.

Women from Barasana and Nandgaon – the two sub-urbs of Mathura beat men with sticks, while men have to protect themselves from the hits under shields. Lathmar Holi takes place a week before the main Holi day. This year it will take place on 18th March 2022 in Barsana and Nandgaon on 19th March 2022.

Holi at Shantiniketan, Kolkata

This famous place in Bolpur near Kolkata, West Bengal, celebrates Holi as Basanta Utsav. Also known as Spring Festival, this Utsav was introduced by the famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore. Recreating the magic of Holi, it is celebrated uniquely. The entire university joins in this merrymaking, smeared in various colors, among which, yellow is dominant. People are clad in yellow attires, adding to the beauty of the celebrations’ sight.