A vibrant scene begins to unfold as I near my destination. Indians drenched in every colour of the rainbow catch my eye in increasing numbers. Red, blue, and orange hues are splashed across their faces, clothes and hair. I was in the right place.
Each March, India erupts in a colourful cloud of chaos to mark the major Hindu holiday of Holi. Every region celebrates Holi uniquely; some take the explosion of colours to extremes.
Among such places are Mathura, Vrindavan, and neighbouring towns in the state of Uttar Pradesh. I planned to visit them all.
Over 10 days, revellers perform traditional ceremonies unique to the region alongside enormous and raucous displays of colour and buckets of brightly dyed water.
On the first day, the atmosphere was electric as I joined the slow-moving procession of people and bursts of colour rained over the crowd, prompting ecstatic cheers.
But within seconds, a handful of powder was forcefully launched into my face. Wiping the colourful dust from my eyes, an intense and sometimes aggressive bombardment of more colour and water followed. I’d been inaugurated into the Holi cohort alongside my partner, but I couldn’t shake a feeling of vulnerability – of being targeted.
I’d been warned that female attendees must take extra precautions during Holi. Not only was I one of the few women in the crowd, but I was also one of the only foreign tourists. Was there a darker side to the vibrant colours I’d seen in all the pictures? I was about to find out.
Holi is a celebration rich in history that captures the ultimate vibrancy of Indian culture.
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