{"id":"f-80ae245e0c-4891e99f-dfed-5798-a991-58dea256f92b","title":"Forget The Gulaal: Add Vrindavan’s ‘Phoolon Ki Holi’ And Widows’ Celebration To Your Instagram Bucket-Lists","description":"Two big reasons why Vrindavan is the best place to experience Holi in India","timestamp":1772278200,"category":"travel_and_lifestyle","headline":"Forget The Gulaal: Add Vrindavan’s ‘Phoolon Ki Holi’ And Widows’ Celebration To Your Instagram Bucket-Lists","modifiedHeadline":"Vrindavan's Flower Holi: A Unique Celebration","subCategories":["scid_c3ff64bf"],"subcategoriesName":["Travel News"],"region":"IN","bundleMetaData":{"bundleId":"7b48871c-c993-4956-b43d-6f46f8e1b036","bundleTitle":"Today In India","cardData":null},"iabCategoryId":"1KXCLD","fcSummary":"vrindavan's holi offers a unique experience beyond the typical color powder celebrations. witness \"phoolon ki holi,\" a magical petal shower at the banke bihari temple, and observe widows, historically excluded, joyfully participating in the festival. confusion surrounds 2026's dates due to astrological variations, with holika dahan potentially on march 2 and dhulandi on march 4.","summary":"Vrindavan's unique Holi celebrations! Experience flower showers & widows' revelry, ditching tradition for joy. Dates vary due to astrological factors.","ctaUrl":"https://trends.glance.com/newz/news/IN/en/news18/f-80ae245e0c-4891e99f-dfed-5798-a991-58dea256f92b","sourceUrl":"https://www.news18.com/lifestyle/travel/forget-the-gulaal-add-vrindavans-phoolon-ki-holi-and-widows-celebration-to-your-instagram-bucket-lists-9931631.html","bannerImage":"https://g-mob.glance-cdn.com/public/fc/image/ZMBob5RfBZV0.webp","content":"

Most of us know Holi as that one day a year we get covered in multi-coloured (sometimes permanent) powders and dance to Bollywood hits. But if you head to the dusty, spiritual streets of Vrindavan, you’ll

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realise that the “Festival of Colours” is actually a many-layered story about love, breaking rules, and thousands of flower petals.

If you’re a traveller who wants to see the real India, here is why you need to skip the city parties and head to the heart of Braj Bhoomi.

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Phoolon Ki Holi In Vrindavan

Forget getting hit with water balloons. At the Banke Bihari Temple, they celebrate with Phoolon Ki Holi (Holi with flowers). On the 11th day of the full moon, the temple doors swing open, and instead of dry powder, the priests shower the crowd with a literal rain of fresh petals. But we recommend reaching there early since the experience, which is magical, lasts for a short time. It’s the most “Instagrammable” moment you’ll ever experience without even trying.

Widows’ Holi in Vrindavan

For decades, widows, draped in white, stayed in Vrindavan and were forbidden from playing Holi. But since 2013, every year on the festival of colours, they shun customs and traditions to engage in revelry. After concentrated efforts by various NGOs, the widows of Vrindavan started partaking in the festival, which is marked by traditional Brij Bhasha music, gulaal and flowers. Women young and old throw colours on each other, and for a brief moment, find a little colour in their own lives.

When Is Holi In India?

Different astrological interpretations have caused a sense of confusion regarding Holi celebrations for the year 2026. Uncertainty persists in citizens’ minds over the exact dates for the festivities of Holika Dahan and Dhulandi. At the crux of confusion are the variations in the almanack readings, lunar calculations, the impact of Adhik Maas and the occurrence of a lunar eclipse on March 3.

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According to the traditional panchang interpretations, Holika Dahan is set to take place late at night on March 2, with the colourful celebrations for Dhulandi observed two days later on March 4.

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Forget The Gulaal: Add Vrindavan’s ‘Phoolon Ki Holi’ And Widows’ Celebration To Your Instagram Bucket-Lists

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