Colors of HOLI Festival from Barsana, Nandgaon, Goverdhan, Vrindavan and Mathura || First PHOTO JOURNEY by Jitendra Singh

Here comes the very first and rocking PHOTO JOURNEY by Jitendra Singh, one of the great photographers. Photographers at PHOTO JOURNEY welcome Mr. Jitendra Singh and congratulate him for his first PHOTO JOURNEY with great colors. Let's check out these interesting Holi photographs from Barsana, Nandgaon, Goverdhan, Vrindavan and Mathura...

The Hindu festival of Holi which is also called as the Festival of Colors celebrated with much enthusiasm in the month of Phalgun, which usually corresponds to the month of March. It marks the arrival of spring and the bright colors represent energy, life, and joy. The festival of colors is also very special for Photographers like Jitendra Singh, who visited one of the important places in India where Holi is celebrated in very special ways. This Photo Journey shares photographs from various parts of Uttar Pradesh.

In Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna and in Vrindavan this day is celebrated with special puja and the traditional custom of worshiping Lord Krishna, here the festival lasts for sixteen days. All over the Braj region and its nearby places like Hathras, Aligarh, Agra the Holi is celebrated in more or less same way as in Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana. 

This great festival is associated with the immortal love of Lord Krishna and Radha and hence, Holi is spread over 16 days in Nandgaon, Barsana, Goverdhan, Vrindavan as well as Mathura - the cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with colored powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a general sense of abandoned vitality. These photographs share the mood of Holi with great enthusiasm, music, dance and lot of excitement in various forms. 

Barsana is the place to be at the time of Holi. Here the famous Lath mar Holi is played in the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness the Lath Mar holi when women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi Songs and shout Sri Radhey or Sri Krishna. The Holi songs of Braj mandal are sung in pure Braj Bhasha.

Holi is known by the name of 'Dol Jatra', 'Dol Purnima' or the 'Swing Festival'. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken round the main streets of the city or the village. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. During these activities, the men keep spraying colored water and colored powder, abir, at them. 

The Holi celebration has its celebration origins in Gujarat, particularly with dance, food, music, and colored powder to offer a spring parallel of Navratri, Gujarat's Hindu festival celebrated in the fall. Falling on the full moon day in the month of Phalguna, Holi is a major Hindu festival and marks the agricultural season of the Rabi crop.

On Dol Purnima day in the early morning, the students dress up in saffron-colored or pure white clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments like ektara, dubri, veena, etc. 

Holi played at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Males also sing provocative songs in a bid to invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive and use long staves called lathis to beat men folk who protect themselves with shields.

In Maharashtra, Holi is mainly associated with the burning of Holika. Holi Paurnima is also celebrated as Shimga. A week before the festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On the day of Holi, the firewood is arranged in a huge pile at a clearing in the locality.