Holi is also known by another name, which is Basant Utsav. Basant Utsav is celebrated with fervors in the state of West Bengal. The tradition of Basant Utsav, meaning Spring Festival was started by poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan, the University he founded.

What is appreciated is the grace and dignified manner in which Vasant Utsav is celebrated in West Bengal as compared to boisterous Holi witnessed in most parts of India. Boys and girls joyfully welcome spring, the season of hope not just with colors but with songs, dance, chanting of hymns in the serene ambiance of Shantiniketan. Anybody who got a chance to witness this elegant way of celebrating Holi in Bengal remembers it with fond memory for the rest of his life.