As the world starts to become more tolerant of other cultures beliefs and religions we see a lot of countries around the world taking part in festivals and celebrations which would normally not be on the countries holiday lists. This could be due to travel becoming more affordable and easier to embark on, or it could also be that more and more people throughout the world now have access to the vast array of videos, media, blogs displayed on the world wide web.
One country which you would rarely hear your family or friends say their travelling to is India. Situated on the Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, India is known as being one of the most populated countries in the world. Gradually we have seen India transform form a developing country and slowly, awareness is catching on that India is the place to travel, with a fast growing economy and great culture there's no longer an excuse to not visit the wonderful place. Maybe you're the type of person that wants to experience culture? Or maybe you're the type of traveller who is after an adrenaline rush. Either way there is a great festival held annually in Indian in the month of March, which will give any traveller an experience they will never forget.
The Festival known as Holi is the religious celebration held in spring throughout the world by the Hindu religion, and lasts up to 16 days. The exact legend behind Holi is uncertain, it is said there was once an evil king named Hiranyakasipu and he had a son named Prince Prahlad. The Prince infuriated his father as he was considered Holy and would often worship Lord Vishnu instead of worshiping his father. The king is said to have tried to kill his son several ways but failed due to Lord Vishnu always saving the prince. The king eventually ordered his evil sister Holika who was immune from fire to lure his son and take him into blazing flames. It was said that because Holika was using her powers for evil, the gods stripped her of this gift and she perished in the flames. The Prince forgave his evil aunt Holika and celebration of good triumphing over evil began annually, thus the name Holi. We also see a legend which involved young Krishna who envied his soul mates Radha's fair complexion, Krishna is said to have gone and coloured Radha's face with darker colours and today this legend shows the lovable prank of applying colours to love ones faces throughout Holi. This is where we see the fun of the Holi festival; throughout the celebration people throw coloured powders, water bombs and even use pichkari's which are somewhat similar to water guns.
If you want to experience a traditional Holi visit Mathura and Vrindavan, which are approximately 2 hours south of New Delhi. The month before Holi you will see dancers from throughout India come and interpret the story of Krishna and Radha's legend.
Approximately 4 hours drive south west of New Delhi lays Jaipur. During the Holi season Jaipur offers dancing, elephant beauty contests and parades, foreigners are also regularly seen at this Holi celebration.
To celebrate modern Holi at its best check out the Delhi Holi Cow festival. A celebration of colour, music and people the festival is held a short distance outside of the main city of Delhi. The festival is a mixture of locals, tourist and expats making it a safe place to partake in the celebrations.
If you would rather not partake in the festival but still be able to see and experience the culture check out Juhu Beach or Colaba. Both these locations will be safe if you are just going to watch the as this is a tourist location.
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