Holi - the festival of colors, is one of the major festivals of the Hindu calendar. Vibrant colors in use are a reflection of the various shades of life. People meet, greet each other and repair broken relationships. They play this festival by pouring colors of love, friendship, water dipped in colors or pure saffron. Phoolon ki holi (playing with flowers) is another popular form of playing this festival. Vrindavan is one of the holiest sites in Hinduism and probably the most important one for the worshipers of Lord Krishna. It's a place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood days. It is considered to be the heart of Goddess Radha Rani. It's a place which is resonated with endless tales of the greatest love story of Lord Krishna & Goddess Radha Rani - a love story that did not materialize into marriage. It's a place full of charm, magic and enchantment which is difficult to find elsewhere. Almost every lane, house, temple has a story to share about the magic experienced there. I firmly believe in the concept of calling of a place, i.e. one gets to visit a place only if the latter wants you to be there. The so-called planning is just a medium to reach there because of the forces of Universe. A holi celebration in Vrindavan is one of the top to-do-things in India (suggested by all major travel blogs). Normally, Vrindavan is an all season destination, but Holi is perhaps the best time to get lured by the enchantment offered. The celebrations kick in a month-in advance and run up to the main festival day. Holi in Vrindavan is equivalent to Durga Puja in Kolkata, Ganesh Chaturthi in Mumbai, Navratri in Gujarat and Lohri in Punjab.
My mother is a true devotee and spends most of her time in prayers to Lord Krishna. It had always been a dream of hers to visit Vrindavan during Holi but somehow things didn't plan out. Finally in 2018, with the calling of Vrindavan - the plan was made and thanks to my friend who was getting married then, I too made it to Vrindavan. Although Vrindavan does have a railway station, but it is not well-connected to any other city except Mathura. One can either opt for the car route or take a New Delhi-Mathura train to reach here. We have always stayed at Fogla Ashram during our visits here. Accommodation charges are very reasonable here (one can contact me for any help w.r.t. booking) but do ensure to make prior reservations during Holi. Prominent temples/places to visit are Shri Banke Bihari Mandir, Shri Radhavallabh Lal Mandir, Nidhivan, Seva Kunj, Shri Radha Damodar, Shri Radha Raman Ji, Iskcon Temple, Prem Mandir, Govind Dev Ji, Sri Ranganatha Mandir.
Everyday, one can literally get into a temple run mode and visit these places. Shri Radhavallabh Lal Mandir - one of the secret temples (usually one does not find it's mention in articles on temples to be visited). The temple opens at 5:30 a.m. for mangla aarti (morning) during winter (till Holi) but I would recommend reaching the temple by at least 4:45 a.m. to grab the front row viewing capacity. Females even have the option to sit right in front of the main temple door. Till 5:30 a.m., join the chorus and sing melodious hymns, prayers the devotees have for the dear Lord. After the aarti, the priests splash colors on devotees. Devotees in turn splash color on the Lord. Water guns are out later in the morning filled with different colors & pure saffron. This play with water & colors goes on till the last aarti of the day at 8:30 p.m. One can see girls/women dancing in groups like small children play in rain. They dance to a popular devotional song 'Aaj briaj mein holi re rasiya'. Experiencing this, one feels like a child who just wants to enjoy life. Later, one can visit the banks of River Yamuna for prayers and other temples along the way. At 8 a.m. doors to Seva Kunj open. Seva Kunj is one of the most mystical places whose tales are beyond scientific reasoning. A place where Lord Krishna becomes a servant to Goddess Radha Rani. It is believed that every night, Lord Krishna + Goddess Radha Rani along with their sakhis (friends) perform the raas (holy dance). The place is stunted with evergreen bushes who are believed to be the sakhis of the holy pair. A peculiar thing to note - none of these bushes grow to the height of proper, long trees. They are always downward-facing, and grow horizontally only. No living being remains in the premises post 7 pm, even the monkeys who flock this premise all-day long are observed to quietly go away, only to return the next morning after sunrise (I have seen it myself). There have been evidences of ornaments missing, eaten food etc to add to the mystic charm.
Around 8:30 a.m. doors to the most important temple of Vrindavan opens - Shri Banke Bihari. The image at the temple is a combination of the holy celestial couple - Lord Shri Krishna & Goddess Radha Rani. Entire lane/street leading to the temple is filed with small shops selling flowers, sweets and other gift items. Lanes are quite narrow and as a result it gets difficult to navigate. Radhe Radhe - is all what people speak to request others to move out of their way. Monkeys are seen flocking the entire area, running on electric wires, jumping across the smallest openings of a house/shop. Monkeys, especially of this area are known to be quite mischievous - their love for sunglasses is well-known for, at times even snatching it from trousers/shirts. Their speed and precision while performing this act will surely leave you awestruck. The temple is always full of people, so much so that even the most heavy-built men would find it difficult to reach the extreme end. People are mad to just get a glimpse of the holy couple. The saying of 'beauty lies in the eyes' is best felt here. Due to fears of people getting enchanted by the magical eyes, a curtain is put in place before the Lord for 1-2 secs in a time interval of every 30 secs. Out here, Holi is played with saffron water and other colors. One can see priests/devotees pouring water and color standing through the tiny window-shaped walls of the temple. Unfortunately, there is not enough space to have a dance though. But devotees don't mind it as even a glance of the holy couple is enough to leave you spellbound. Widows who are generally seen in whites are once observed to be immersed in the color of life. Peace, calmness, freshness, positive vibes received from visiting this temple is an out-of the world experience.
I personally used to get drenched every time I visited Radhavallabh + Shri Banke Bihari temples - minimum twice a day. Usually one plays with color and water only once a year, i.e. on the main festival day but out here I played on at least 8 occasions leading up to the main day. Devotees splash colors on each other on the streets leading to famous temples during the month-long celebration. Once done with the temple run, mouth-watering, delicious street food awaits the pilgrims. Chillas with triple-layers of cheese & butter, saffron based lassi (curd-based drink) are set up right outside the main lane. Later, have a cup of hot milk in an earthen cup made in local shops. In the end, take home sweets from Brijwasi Sweets shop. Visiting these temples on the main festival day can prove to be a challenge as everyone is out on the streets at the same time. However, playing Holi with the holy couple in itself is a bigger satisfaction as compared to all the hurdles faced. By far, it was the best Holi I have played in my life and I wish, pray that Radha Rani & Vrindavan once again calls me soon, especially for Holi.
