With an enormously strong bonding with Lord Krishna, people of Mathura and Vrindavan celebrate Holi for over a week. Each major Krishna temple celebrates Holi on a different day.
Of immense interest for the tourist is the celebrations which take place at the famous Bakai-Bihari Temple at Vrindavan. Drenched in the colors of Holi people can be found totally immersed in the spirit of devotion here.
Another interesting place for Holi celebrations is Gulal-Kund in Braj; a beautiful little lake near Govardhan Mountain. Here, the festival is commemorated on a more regular basis. Pilgrims can see the re-enactments of Holi throughout the year at this lake. Local boys, acting in the Krishna-Lila drama troupes re-enact the scenes of Holi for the pilgrims.
So much is the passion of the people here that they throng these temples every day and get drenched in colored water...all in the name of the Lord they love so much.
The Legend
The tradition of playing colors on Holi draws its roots from a legend of Radha and Krishna. It is said that young Krishna was jealous of Radha's fair complexion since he himself was very dark. He narrated his woe to mother Yashoda, who teasingly asked him to color Radha's face in which ever color he wanted. In a mischievous mood, Krishna applied color on Radha's face. The tradition of applying color on one's beloved is being religiously followed till date.
