Holi 2023: The vibrant festival of colours, Holi, is knocking on our doors. A joyous and spirited festival, Holi is celebrated across the country with great enthusiasm. There’s a lot of fun and frolic in Holi, which is considered to be Lord Krishna’s favourite festival. While Holi is celebrated over one or two days in most parts of the country, but in the Braj area – Vrindavan, Krishna’s hometown Mathura, Barsana, Nandgaon, Govardhan, and Gokul in Uttar Pradesh – Holi celebrations last for over a week.
Holi 2023 Date: Mathura-Vrindavan’s Lathmar Holi
This year, Holi will take place on March 8, while Holika Dahan is on March 7. The Braj area sees an additional week of celebrations. The Lathmar Holi celebrated in places like Barsana, Mathura, and Vrindavan is very famous and attracts visitors from worldwide. In Lathmar Holi, women with lathis or canes run after men and playfully hit them during this celebration.
This practice comes from the story of Lord Krishna, who it is believed, once visited Radha’s village to tease her and her friends. At the time, gopis of the village took offence to this and chased him away with sticks. Today, after the celebrations in Radha’s village Barsana, Lathmar Holi is celebrated in Nandgaon on the following day.
Holi Date: Wednesday, March 8, 2023
Holika Dahan: March 7, 2023
Purnima Tithi Begins – 04:17 PM on Mar 06, 2023
Purnima Tithi Ends – 06:09 PM on Mar 07, 2023
(Source: Beverage Panchag)
Holi 2023: Significance
Holi marks the end of winter and the advent of spring. According to legends, king Hiranyakashipu wanted people to only worship him. But his own son, Prahlad, went on worshipping Lord Vishnu. An offended Hiranyakashipu decided to punish his son. He asked his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to sit with Prahlad in the fire. When she did, her cloak flew and covered Prahlad, saving him but Holika was killed. Lord Vishnu then assumed the form of Narasimha and killed Hiranyakashipu. So the festival of Holi begins with Holika Dahan, a bonfire that’s lit with the aim of driving evil away.