How to Experience Holi in India like a local

This post may contain affiliate links. This just means I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you for helping them promote their product or service. I don’t endorse any services I don’t personally use or recommend.

Holi. The technicolored celebration of Spring. You’ve seen it on Instagram (particularly if you follow me). Crowds of people tossing Crayola-colored powder indiscriminately on everything & everyone around them. It’s a joyful celebration and so much fun to be a part of. There’s a reason it’s featured on most travelers’ bucket list.

& while most travelers visit India and shell out rupees for a Holi-themed concert or music festival there are other more traditional gatherings taking place all over the country. You can celebrate Holi like a local.

Don’t get me wrong those parties are loads of fun & certainly provide the best opportunity to get covered in paint. But if you’re looking for a more culturally immersive experience or a chance to interact with the locals and celebrate their way…I’ve got a few tips for you.

Your Complete Guide to Celebrating Holi in India

When is Holi?

Holi happens over a two-day period every March. It’s decided based on the Indian Lunar calendar and falls close to the full moon of the month.

In 2024, Holi is from March 24th-March 25th.

In 2025, Holi is from March 13th-March 14th.

Contrary to popular belief this is actually a Hindi festival NOT an Indian holiday. This means not everyone in India participates in Holi and if you run around throwing paint on everyone in sight you’re likely to get a beating.

History of Holi

There are two main Hindi legends explaining the origin of Holi.

In the first an immortal ancient King wanted everyone to worship him as a god. His son refused & was treated horribly. The king’s sister (Holika) was equally awful and tricked the king’s son into sitting on a giant bonfire with her. She had wrapped herself in a fire-proof cloak but he began to burn. Suddenly the cloak was ripped off and covered him saving his life. This is why Holi always begins with a ceremonial bonfire.

In the second, the blue-skinned god Krishna was worried that the other regular skin-colored people wouldn’t like him because of his odd complexion. So Krishna’s mother encouraged Krishna to smear any color he wanted onto the faces of others. Hence the playful colorful Holi tradition.

But basically, the festival is a celebration of victory over evil. An ode to love and happiness.

Where to Go for Holi

India is huge. No surprise to anyone. So where should you go to have the best Holi experience?

Stay North. As a whole, Northern India is where most of the massive Holi celebrations occur & if you’re looking to celebrate Holi like a local you’ll want these larger communities. Southern cities like Kochi and Kerala don’t really celebrate much at all.

Here’s my complete guide on what to see and what to skip when visiting the Northern state of Rajasthan.

Goa is perfectly fine if you’re looking for a party celebration. Popular among young backpackers this beachy paradise attracts 20-something locals and travelers to its paint-covered beach parties.

My Top City Recommendations for Holi

• Jaipur or Udaipur, Rajasthan. All of Rajasthan is a great place to celebrate. Udaipur had the best Holi celebration that I attended.
• Delhi. A great city to celebrate Holi like a local.
• Mumbai. This is where I personally celebrated.
• Vrindavan or Mathura, Uttar Pradesh. The most traditional form of Holi you can experience.
• Rishikesh, Uttarakhand.

Tips for Experiencing Holi like a Local

Now that you have a good idea of what you’re getting yourself into & where you are going, let’s talk about how to have the very best Holi experience and celebrate Holi like a local.

Buy Yourself Some Paint. Lots of it.

The entire week leading up to the festival street vendors and markets will be selling buckets of the technicolored powder. Stock up because it’s always more fun to share. Avoid any permanent powders–those will be clearly labeled.

& Coconut Oil while you’re at it. You should coat yourself in coconut oil before you take to the streets. It will prevent permanent staining of your hair and skin so you don’t have to walk around like a purple monster all week.

You should also consider what colors you are purchasing. Each color holds a different meaning. You should keep that in mind before you go wiping it on people.

These are the most common Holi colors and their meanings.

• Red: Love & fertility
• Blue: A symbol of the god Krishna.
• Green: New Beginnings.
• Yellow: Powerful healing.

Dress the Part.

Glasses to shield your eyes. Coconut oil on your skin & hair. Clothes that cover your shoulders and knees. These are the essentials. Most people would say to dress in white but as soon as you get hit with your first dirty water balloon you’ll be brown. I prefer dark colors.

Visit the Pyre for Holika Dahan.

A flaming bonfire marks the beginning of Holi. Most cities will have many small bonfires typically at Hindi temples, bazaars, and ashrams. They happen the evening before the paint-throwing begins. This was actually my very favorite part of the festival. Watch out for errant fireworks that are often thrown into the burning pyre.

In Mumbai, the biggest and most impressive Holika pyres are at Sanyas Ashram temple in Vile Parle, BDD Chawl in Worli area (where they burnt an effigy of the coronavirus last year), and Tadwadi Utsav at Chira Bazar.

This is part of the celebration that most foreigners miss out on. If you’re looking to meet locals and truly experience Holi this is the place to start.

If you can’t find where the pyre is located in your city you can ask reception at your hostel or hotel and they will be able to direct you.

Take to the Streets.

Holi celebrations occur everywhere. On the train platforms, at the markets, inside malls, and most notably within residential neighborhoods. You don’t have to go to a specific place to participate. I highly recommend using public transport during Holi. It’s a lot of fun.

Before you go throwing paint on every unsuspecting bystander the rules of Holi are simple…if they have paint powder on them they are fair game. The best Holi celebrations I found in India we’re often among neighborhoods.

Traveler Tip: You should wear old clothes you don’t care about. Despite it not being permanent powder most of my clothes are still technicolored.

How do you find the best place for a celebration?

If you’re looking to get into the thick of it and sink into the largest crowd possible…Ask your hostel front desk! Every city is different. But all the locals know where to go. If all else fails visit major Hindu temples in the area or follow the blasting music.

In cities like Udaipur where lots of people are participating, it is impossible to miss.

What is Bhang Lassi?

If you’re spending Holi with young men in India you’ll likely encounter a vat of Bhang Lassi. Lassi is the traditional creamy yogurt drink of choice in India. The Bhang however refers to the Marijuana steeped inside it. It’s a popular drink during the celebration, but it can be very strong so indulge sparingly.

Busting Some Holi Myths

When I arrived in Mumbai for Holi, I was expecting a massive country-wide paint party. In some aspects, I had gotten it right. But there were also a lot of misconceptions. Here are some myths to bust before Holi.

Holi is one big paint party.

Honestly, the amount of colored paint that is thrown is minimal. You’re rarely going to encounter mass crowds of people tossing paint on everyone around them. This is just in the concert/temple areas and the powder that dusts the air is actually awful on your nose, eyes, and breathing.

Instead, typically people will be wiping paint onto others’ faces. It’s about bestowing a certain color on another person, not just a willy-nilly paint fight.

Only Paint gets Thrown.

The celebration doesn’t stop with paint. Buckets of water, water balloons, squirt guns, and even eggs thrown by some overzealous kids are common projectiles. Especially in residential areas. Don’t be surprised when your pretty face of paint is ruined by a bucket of questionable water.

All Indians Celebrate Holi.

I already touched on this above but Holi is a Hindu celebration. This means that millions of Muslim and Buddhist Indians will likely not be participating. You’ll be able to tell right away who is who.

Holi Tips for Women

When you google Holi (or any location honestly) the internet shoves “Safety Guides for Women” down our throats. I’m not going to add to the fear-mongering too much here. Women can go EVERYWHERE that men can. From Iran to Madagascar. Solo or coupled. That being said if you’re someone who is worried about safety here are some steps you can take.

Keep Your Shoulders and Knees Covered.

Not just during Holi but always in India. It’s not so much a safety thing as it is a respect thing. Don’t dress skimpy just because it’s hot out.

Start your Holi Early.

Celebrations often include alcohol. Especially among young Indian men. The drunker the party the more at risk women are from unwanted sexual advances and harassment. The longer the party goes on…the drunker the party gets. You can also just avoid large groups of young men if you’re concerned.

We called it quits by 3 PM both times. This is very normal. Holi color festivals don’t really go late into the night and they just get rowdier and rowdier. Less paint starts being thrown and instead you get water balloons and other various projectiles. Definitely not as fun as it might sound.

Make Friends at Your Hostel.

There is always safety in numbers. & the celebration is always more fun with friends! Your hostel is a great place to meet other female travelers you can celebrate with.

Avoid Indulging in too Much Bhang Lassi or Alcohol.

Enjoy sparingly. Especially if you’re a solo traveler.

Sexual assault and harassment are commonly reported by women during Holi. I didn’t experience any. I did however experience it at other times during my trip to Mumbai. It’s not worth changing any trip plans over. If you follow the tips above you’ll draw less attention and probably won’t have an issue.

Holi in Mumbai

In 2020, I celebrated Holi in Mumbai. & it was amazing.

We mostly wandered the city as we normally would have, just loaded up with our pockets full of colored paint.

The highlight was visiting Dharavi and “playing Holi” with some local kids. We were also viciously attacked with buckets of water and eggs everywhere we went because the kids were so excited to douse us. It can be a little overwhelming but it was also too much fun. I highly recommend visiting Dharavi during Holi if you happen to be in Mumbai. This is a predominately Muslim neighborhood but still surprisingly fun during the color celebration.

To end the color celebration we attended a party thrown at our hostel that had both locals and foreigners. This is super common and often turns into a Holi bar crawl.

Where to stay in Mumbai for Holi

Locomo Hostel.

During Holi, they organize a group party on their grassy rooftop. Paint, Bhang Lassi, music, dancing the whole shebang. This way you could have a traditional Holi celebration by day and a party with locals and fellow travelers by night.

I cannot recommend this hostel highly enough. Even if you’re not visiting during Holi. Stay at Locomo. & be sure to book in advance because they do tend to fill up.

Holi in Udaipur

In 2023, we celebrated Holi in Udaipur. It was definitely a crazier, more colorful, more fun location. Most of the events will be centered in the walled city area around Jagdish temple. The crowds can be intense. Be aware and watch out for lots of fireworks. The night before the color festival there are pyres all over the residential areas. You can’t miss them.

Holi is an amazing spiritual experience. It’s also a crazy celebration. Many of the large events organized can be tempting but they really are just for the benefit of foreigners. If you’re looking for a party then, by all means, buy those tickets. But if you want to experience Holi like a local you have to hit the streets and visit the temples, mingle, and embrace the spirit of Holi. It will be a more low-key adventure but an adventure nevertheless.

Save this post for later!!!

• 

•