The Holi Festival in India is the biggest celebration of the year for Indians. It’s an ancient Hindu religious festival where people gather in the streets and throw dye on each other, which represents good over evil. No one is off limits on this wild and crazy day. Anyone from your grandmother to your newborn baby is fair game for the dye throwing. Although the festival is fun and an experience I wish everyone in the world could partake in, there are certainly some things to know before embarking on this once in a lifetime celebration.
HOW TO PREPARE FOR HOLI FESTIVAL
1: Bring comfortable clothes that you’re willing to part with.
Holi is going to be muggy and trust me you will get dirty, quickly. To make yourself the most comfortable wear something loose. For my first Holi I decided to wear an old sport’s bra covered with a loose long sleeve shirt and on top, a loose tank top dress paired with leggings and flip-flops. I knew my outfit would get ruined so I chose something that wasn’t too expensive and that I wouldn’t mind throwing in the trash. I also had in mind the fact that I didn’t want the dye to stain my skin for several days; that’s why I chose to cover my body as much as possible. You’re pretty much going to have to throw everything away. The dye will own you.
2: When picking your outfit think comfortable and make sure it’s not anything revealing.
India in general seemed safe the entire time I was there but there are those times when it’s just better to cover up than be scrutinized. They really don’t condone showing your thighs. I wore a tank top dress that went a little above my knee with loose leggings underneath but that’s probably as far as I would go. I wouldn’t wear a crop top or mini shorts; it’s just bad taste. Respect the culture and they’ll respect you.
3: Make sure to bring oil / coconut oil to rub all over your skin and hair before the festivities begin
This is real dye they’re throwing around so what’s the worst that can happen? Uh, well you’re expensive blonde highlights can turn to green, that’s what can happen! To avoid this as best as possible lather every part of your hair and skin with oil, I prefer coconut oil.
All lathered up on my way to Holi!
4: Talk to someone local, either at your hotel or hostel for advice on what to do. Many places in India celebrate Holi differently.
In northern India like Deli and Rajasthan they celebrate in the streets. Here, an ungodly amount of people party and go wild, throwing dye every which way. Photos from the north are most likely the photos you’ve seen of the traditional Holi celebrations. However, other places in India like Mumbai celebrate in a pretty drastically different way. Unlike the north, in Mumbai (western India) they have house parties in locals’ backyards and celebrate in establishments rather than the streets. If you don’t know any locals, clubs have parties and things of this sort but it’s definitely not as street-party focused as the north. I remember driving to this house party and seeing all of these clubs we passed; some of them were having infamous “foam parties” and the foam was even spilling out into the street! It may have been fun, but probably a little dirty.
5: If you do go to a street party, protect yourself and never go alone, especially if you’re a female.
We stayed with my boyfriend’s sister when we were in Mumbai. When we were all getting ready to go out on the motorbike to take some pictures of the early morning Holi festivities she stopped me in my tracks. “You can’t go on the bike Hannah, they’ll grope you.” She wasn’t saying this in a disgusted way, just in a protective older sister way. She advised we leave the biking in the streets to the guys and we would have plenty of time to celebrate later.
6: Bring something waterproof for your belongings.
I was lucky in that I was at Songkran (Thai water holiday) earlier in the year and managed to pick up a one-dollar waterproof pouch that could hold my phone and my money. This was the perfect accessory for Holi. It held my cell phone and a couple of dollars (no credit cards, out of fear of losing anything.) It had a strap around the neck so I could comfortably carry and hold onto it by my side the entire day. Find something similar to protect your belongings, as they could potentially get wet or worse, stained!
7: Bring a GoPro.
Personally, I think the best way to capture photos at Holi is with a GoPro in the waterproof case. No other camera is that tiny with the ability to capture great photos. It won’t be uncomfortable to carry around with you all day and I’m sure you’ll get some pretty kick-ass photos from Holi.
8: If you don’t have a GoPro and want to use your own camera, bring a waterproof case or bag for it.
You definitely cannot just take your nice camera and say you’ll keep it safe. That’s impossible at Holi. Even if you’re on a motorbike people find a way to throw dye at you, purchase a safe-proof bag and that should do the trick! WATERPROOF CAMERA BAGS
Dye everywhere!
9: Beware of Bhang.
Bhang (Lord Shiva’s food) is a drink found in India that contains hash and sometimes lassie, a yogurt fruity concoction. It tastes and looks a little bit like milk with dirt. Doesn’t’ that sound delicious? Mmm…I think not. However, people drink it to get a buzz. It’s supposed to have the same affects as smoking weed would. Personally I drank Bhang for an entire day and didn’t feel ANYTHING, but maybe I’m just a heavyweight 😉 Use caution when drinking this because it is a drug. Don’t mess around and always drink it when you’re with someone. Also, drink it slowly to see how it IS affecting you first.
10: Don’t do anything that could get you in trouble, especially in the streets.
Even though it’s Holi, this is India and things can happen in the blink of an eye. Even at our house party in Mumbai the police came in, turned the music off and demanded we all leave even though the house owner had paid them off the day before. Yes, things like paying off officials actually happen in countries around the world…besides that, just be careful. Don’t drink Bhang or smoke weed in public, it probably won’t get you thrown in jail but you really never know.
Yolo
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