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Where-to-6-Places-to-Visit-in-India-during-Holi-Celebration-Mumbai

Holi is a sacred religious celebration that is held all over India. It is one of the monumental celebrations as it commemorates the beginning of spring as well as various stories that exist about Krishna. Visitors who are going to India during Holi will be fully delighted with the extent of the celebration that many parts of India are celebrating Holi. Each area in particular would have different celebratory acts to commemorate that day.

Here are the best places to visit India during Holi celebration:

Mumbai

As one of the cities with the highest population in India, you can bet that Holi is extravagantly celebrated in Mumbai. Traditions vary from sending gifts and sweets to being smothered in powdered color. One of the activities that is most known for is the revival of the things Krishna did. A pot of buttermilk is suspended in the air, while men would climb on top of each other and try to reach the pot. The Holi King will finally be named for the person who has successfully broken the pot.

Goa

For those who are looking for fun and adventurous celebrations should most definitely visit Goa on Holi. We are quite sure that you are going to be having a great time there. Shigmo is celebrated for two whole days, visitors would be expecting Holi parties with eclectic music with plenty of thandai and traditional snacks. From traditional dances and parades, you will be able to witness it all.

Mathura

Mathura is one of the must-visit places during Holi celebration in India. Here, one of the largest festivals are held as this is the birthplace of Krishna. The celebration consists of throwing colored powder to other devotees while also playing music for the crowd to listen to. Not only will you be enjoying Holi, but you will also be able to see his birthplace and know more about his history. Otherwise, indulge yourself by going on a culinary journey by visiting halwai shops close to Shri Banke Bihari Temple for a truly Indian experience.

Jaipur and Udaipur

Looking for a festive celebration? Visiting Jaipur and during Holi would not let your instincts down. Similar to Goa, Holi is also celebrated for two whole days here. On the first day, people will be able to join in the celebration in the City Palace in Udaipur. The next day would be festivities where you will be able to see parades with decorated elephants, camels, horses and folk dancing. There will also be decent amount of animal attractions from elephant polo, elephant races and tug-of-war between elephants.

Vrindavan

Krishna spent his children at Vrindavan, which is why many devotees and foreigners come to this place to experience the celebration of Holi. Rather than the use of colored powder, devotees would use flowers which would earn in the nickname Phoolon wali Holi (Flowers’ Holi). You will be able to witness temple priests throw flowers above the heads of the pilgrims as a way of sending blessings from the Lord. For a close up position, stand in line earlier before the gate opens.

Purulia

Holi in Purulia is celebrated for 3 whole days with a folk festival dedicated to people who celebrate Holi.  Basant Ustav festival is Holi celebration with unique folk art, dance, music in addition to colors of spring. Some of the dances includes Chau Chau dance, Darbari Jhumur, Natua dance while you can listen to travelling Baul musicians that originates from West Bengal. What differentiates this celebration is the lively carnival like atmosphere, acrobatic stunts and rhythmic beatings of drums.

Visiting India during Holi will surely give you a once-in-a-lifetime experience. More than just the festivities of the event, you will also experience a spiritual journey within the area. So prepare a change of clothes, a camera and colored powder for the enjoyment of a lifetime!

Which destination seems the most interesting to visit? Share your opinion in the comments section below!

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Holi is to celebrate the cleansing of the soul. Other than that, it is also a day in which relationships will be revived and rekindled. More than throwing colors, Holi is also known as the day where you visit your loved ones to pay respects as well as to strengthen family bond. For that reason, a clean and warm house will seem more inviting for people to visit and enjoy themselves.

Here are the things that you can do to add more color and brighten your living space:

Living Room

The living room is one of the places which is widely seen by everyone who comes by the house. Luckily, there are also many ways to beautify and brighten the living room to impress and brighten moods of anyone who has seen it.

There are a variety of options that you can do from deploying colorful upholstery, rugs, pillows, cushions along with bright and brand new curtains. Protect your furniture by covering it with sarees or dupattas, braiding it to add more flair to the design. Go a step further by updating your lighting, putting in aromatic candles, string lights and paper lamps. Your walls carry a lot of potential to enhance the look of the room from hanging mirrors, adding string art, some artwork, picture frames, wall hangings, wall motifs or even some wall hanging tapestry for a modern and updated touch. Coffee tables also has the potential to look beautiful, where you are able to decorate it to your heart’s content. Add flowers, choose a decorative vase or add a crystal bowl with flower petals scattered on the center or side tables. If not, rearranging your furniture will also give a whole new look and mood to the living room.

Bedroom

Although bedrooms are private and solely for the enjoyment of your family, it will surely uplift mood and add to the festive feeling of the day. Several of the changes are bedsheets, curtains, rugs, furniture, colored fabric lampshades, artwork and picture frames. Make the occasion more festive by putting aromatic candles on the nightstand, upgrading your lighting fixtures, putting in fresh flowers or applying rangoli on the bedroom floor. If not, rearranging the furniture in your room will also change the mood of whoever enters the room.

Bathroom

Even the bathroom is not exempt from being changed and made beautiful this Holi. Most of the items in the bathroom might not be changed, but some accessories can be added to spruce up the room. You can do this by hanging more colorful towels, organizing scented soap balls and even putting in fresh flowers on the bathroom window.

Kitchen

Decorating kitchens are also possible to heighten the spirit of Holi. You can either create rangoli or change the mood of the room by adding colorful and translucent paper motifs on the lighting fixtures. Otherwise, add pendant light on the center of kitchen ceiling. Kitchens are not only function but can also brighten the mood of the cook, making the process more enjoyable.

Lawns & Terrace

For special occasions like Holi, your lawns & terraces are some of the areas which you can brighten to improve mood in the house. Flowers, paper buntings, hanging lamps, festoons and flower rangolis are just some of the ways that allows you to change your house aesthetic quickly to make it look more inviting to visitors.

Additional tips

  • Remove stains from the walls using a damp cloth. If this does not work, then cover the spots with the same paint color.
  • An oil coating will keep the stain away. Simply wipe of the doorknob with water and soft cloth.
  • For a cohesive look, pick a color that stands out the most in the room. Find other accessories of similar color and use it to decorate the room. This will serve to make the room look brighter in an easier and quicker way without clashing of colors. You can even choose another color to freshen up your room the next time.
  • If you find that combining colors quite the difficult task, use complementary colors for an easy color match.

After following these tips, we guarantee that your house will look picture perfect for others to look and admire. Not only will it look very pleasing to look at, but it will also make your house look more inviting for others to stay over in a longer time. In return, you will receive more joy during the sacred celebration of Holi.

Which tips have you tried? Are there any other Holi decorating tips that you want to try for this year? Tell us in the comments section below!

 

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Holi without gulaal is incomplete!

Gulaal that is regularly found and sold on the streets is considered harmful considering the amount of dangerous chemicals it possesses. There has been many cases where the skin would stain for days, allergic reactions cropping up and even skin that has worsened due to the heavy chemicals in the gulaal. For that reason, we would recommend making your own organic gulaal.

How to make natural coloring:

RED: Use red roses or red hibiscus that is dried and powdered.

GREEN: You can either take cilantro, spinach or mint leaves to make natural green coloring. Grind the leaves with water to prepare the coloring. Cilantro and spinach is supposed to be mixed with henna powder for stronger color.

BLUE: Find some Jacaranda flowers (neeli gulmohar) and put it in the shade to be dried out. When the petals are already dried, grind them to powder formation and blend with water.

PURPLE: Take some beetroot, grate it, dry it in the sun and grind to a powdery consistency.  Otherwise, grate and soak beetroot to get wet purple water.

ORANGE: Pluck saffron petals from the flower, dry the petals and grind to powder. For wet orange color solution, you can boil or soak it overnight then mix it with henna powder.

BROWN: Use 1: 4 ratio of henna & amla powder mixture. Using sandalwood powder will also get you the same effect.

YELLOW: You will either need turmeric powder to obtain yellow gulaal color, or process chrysanthemums & marigolds. The first step is to dry the flower petals and grind to powder. The second step is to soak it. Another step is boiling overnight. Finally, add in henna should be added to either of the solutions.

Ingredients:

200 mg Powder (Arrowroot flour, Rice flour or Corn flour)
Natural Coloring
Fragrance (Rose water or any essential oils)

Instructions:

  1. Prepare the needed amount of powder on separate bowls.
  2. Mix in natural coloring on each bowl.
  3. Add few drops of fragrance to each color.
  4. Evenly grind the mixtures.
  5. If the color is too light, add more color.
  6. Let it dry for 24 hours.
  7. The gulaal is done!

Not only is factory made gulaal harmful to the skin, but it is also more difficult to remove and stains longer. Organic gulaal, on the other hand is known to be harmless to the skin and is easier to remove. You will most likely not experience staining on the body, on your furniture and experience no allergic reactions.

Have you tried making these organic gulaal? Share your experience with us in the comments section below!

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Indoindians - India Club Children’s Painting Competition

Indoindians 4th on site painting competition is on Sunday, 21st April, 2019. This year’s theme is ‘Kindness’.

This event is in conjunction with the Charity Art Exhibition & Auction to support Saraswati Learning Center – school for special needs children.

The participants were divided into 2 categories by age,

  •  6 yrs to 10 yrs
  • 11yrs to 16 yrs

The Individual awards for each category are: 

First Prize: Rp 1 million
Second Prize: Rp 500,000/-

The winners will be announced on this page on 1st May as well as on the Indoindians Facebook page.

The 10 best entries will also be exhibited on the Indoindians website, FB and Instagram.

For any feedback and more suggestions, do reach out to us at [email protected]

Participants must bring their own crayons/color pencils/sketch pens and the art paper will be provided at the site.
Please note that water colors/acrylics are NOT allowed.

Details as below:

Date | Time: Sunday, 21st April, 1pm to 3 pm preceded by lunch

Venue: Tower Royal, Apartemen 1Park Avenue, Jalan K.H.Syafi’i Hadzami no. 1, lantai 2, Gandaria, Jakarta 12240  Google maps here >>

Registration: Please send details Name of child, Date of Birth, Father’s Name, email id & mobile number via WA to 082210008272 or fill form below

Indoindians Onsite Painting Competition

Indoindians invite children 6 yrs to 16 yrs to participate in our painting competition
  • Children's name
  • Child's date of birth
  • Parent's Name
  • Email id
  • Mobile number for communication

1. All the works received in Children on-site Painting Competition, prize-winning or not, remain the property if the organizer which may use them for whatever purpose within its own activities. The organizer reserves the copyright.
2. The grant of the above mentioned rights shall not entail an obligation to pay compensation to the participant.
3. Each work should have only one author, collective works will not be accepted.
4. The jury is composed of Indoindians editors.
6. The organizer reserves the right of final interpretation of any disputes arising from these rules and reserves the right to change the rules without prior notification.
7. This competition is open to children of all nationalities.

 

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The Art of Giving - A Charity Art Auction: SLC & Indoindians Artists Collaboration

Saraswati Learning Center in Collaboration with IndoIndians Artists for  ‘The Art of Giving’- A Charity Art Auction

Vision: The vision for this Art Auction is to be able to provide a platform for all the inspiring painters in Jakarta to showcase their talent. Through this auction, we also wish to inculcate the beauty of ‘giving’ and encouraging a buddy system between all the inspiring artists in Jakarta with all the differently-abled individuals in Saraswati Learning Center.

This art auction will also create awareness regarding the abilities of the differently abled individuals by displaying their artwork for the auction.

We also want to create a feeling of togetherness and be “one community” by bringing in the underprivileged differently-abled students to come to school and obtain educational services.

Concept Idea for the Charity Art Auction

‘The Art of Giving-charity art auction’ will bring together a group of painters who would like to showcase and sell their paintings at an art auction organized at SLC with the theme of ‘The Art of Giving’.

Creating Art-Work and Awareness Together

The artists will come in as volunteers and be a buddy towards one child or a group of students at SLC which will be showcased and sold at the auction to raise funds for the less privileged special needs children. If the painters are not free to volunteer their time with the students, they can also choose to give a percentage of their profits made by selling their individual paintings.

The joint paintings can have the students with the painters explaining about their painting and sharing their experience about working with the painters. Thus creating awareness about their abilities in the field of art.

Register to Participate

Please fill the form below to register your interest to participate or request more information.

  • Registration Form

Entertainment & Refreshments

On this day groups of children from SLC will perform on the stage set up by us. The people coming for the painting exhibition will also get to see the children performing.

SLC with the help of our volunteers and teachers will also put up interactive stations for the children who come in with their parents on that day. The people can also interact with the vocational students to make bracelets, paint rocks with them. There will also be food and water station provided by SLC.

We can also have a silent auction for all the paintings or have a call out loud for the paintings at the end of the program.

Dates for the Exhibition/Auction

We plan to have the charity art auction on Sunday, 21st of April 2019.

Venue: Tower Royal, Apartemen 1Park Avenue, Jalan K.H.Syafi’i Hadzami no. 1, lantai 2, Gandaria, Jakarta 12240  Google maps here >>

Events

Opening of the event

Paintings open for viewing

Performance by SLC students

Bazaars and interactions with the students

Painting Auction

Closing of the exhibition

SLC is very happy to collaborate with the IndoIndians Artists group. May this theme of ‘giving’ for the art auction inspire us and help us generate funds to bring the less privileged special needs students to school as ‘the more we give, the more we receive!’

Sponsorship of the event

We are looking for generous sponsors who can help us to cover costs as well as who can be part of this project to bring about a change in the lives of the underprivileged differently abled students. You can choose to any of the following options for sponsorship >> Art of Giving Sponsorship letter

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Its really simple – just rounds of flattened pastry dough, but tastes great with Indian pickles. The crunchy mathis are savory and sometimes spiced with zeera and ajwain for a zing.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups plain flour (maida)
  • 1 tbsp. Ghee
  • 1/4 tsp. ajwain seeds
  • Salt according to taste
  • Warm water to make dough
  • Ghee for deep frying

Directions:

  1. Blend together maida and salt, rub in the ghee and then add enough water to make a smooth pliable dough.
  2. Make small thin rounds out of all the dough. Prick them on both sides with a fork. Allow to dry a bit for 20-30 minutes.
  3. Now heat oil/ghee in a pan and deep fry a few at a time to a pale gold color.
  4. Drain thoroughly and cool and store in air-tight containers.

Serve with Pickle!

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Holi the festival of colors and joy

Holi is the festival of colors, joy, happiness and full of fun and laughter.

In Hinduism, Holi (also called Holaka or Phagwa), an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Phalguna (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking. This year, Holi will begin in the evening of Wednesday, March 20 and ends in the evening of Thursday, March 21.

Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a bonfire where people gather, sing, dance and party. These bonfires not only purify the air of evil spirits, but mark the story of Holika and Prahalad.

The next morning is a free-for-all explosion of colours, where participants play, chase and colour each other with dry powder and coloured water, with some carrying water guns and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders.

Colorful holi

The frolic and fight with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes to throw colour powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks.

Here are some typical Holi delicacies that you can try:

  1. Thandai
  2. Gujiya
  3. Mathis
  4. Pakora

Do you have a special recipe for holi. Please do share in the comments below.

There has been a long tradition to have Bhang, an intoxicating ingredient made from cannabis leaves, mixed into drinks and sweets and consumed by many. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up and visit friends and family.

In Bengal, Holi features the Dolayatra (Swing Festival), in which images of the gods are placed on specially decorated platforms and devotees take turns swinging them. In the meantime, women dance around and sing special songs as men spray colored water at them.

LET THIS HOLI BE A TIME WHEN WE CHANGE

NOT ONLY THE COLOR OF OUR FACES,

BUT THE COLOR OF OUR HEARTS.

LET US NOT ONLY “PLAY” HOLI,

BUT LET US BECOME HOLY.

One legend that is associated to Holi is a story of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyapu. Yet another legend is about Krishna and Radha. As a baby, Krishna developed his characteristic dark blue skin color because demon Putana poisoned him with her breast milk. In his youth, Krishna despaired whether Radha, who had fair skin and other girls would like him because of his skin color. His mother then asked him to approach Radha and color her face in any color he wanted. He did it and then Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful coloring of Radha’s face has been commemorated as Holi.

One must experience the festival in Mathura and Vrindavan and also pay a visit to the famous Banke-Bihari Temple. The crowd’s enthusiasm for their beloved Lord Krishna needs to be seen to be believed. In Vrindavan, the festival is celebrated for a week.

A third story about the origin of Holi has to do with God of love Kama and Shiva

There are lessons to be taken from all the legends associated to Holi. First, devotion to God always pays, as God will take his true devotee in his arms. Second, love can bridge the distance between two different people. From these two things, we can conclude that good deeds (devotion to God and love) will always win.

The colorful, joyous Holi festival symbolizes togetherness, joy, harmony, and hope amongst people across all sections of the society. On this day people forget their grudges, past mistakes, forgive people, and erase all impurities in their hearts. This is a festival where we can see how the diverse colors of human can blend into a beautiful and joyous event.

There’s also a divine message amid the joyous, playful and intensely colorful Hindu spring festival of Holi – It reminds of the divine and eternal love of Krishna and Radha. It also reminds one of Narashima, Prahlada and Hiranyakashyapa and thus the fact that ‘Truth and Humanity are invincible forces in the Universe‘.

Krishna Rasleela in a miniature painting

Sri Sri Ravishankar’s Holi message here>>

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gujiya
Gujiya

Holi is incomplete without gujiya – a pocket of pastry stuffed with sweet mawa and nuts and then deep fried. It can be stored for a week or two if not quickly finished that very day.

Ingredients:

  • 500 gms maida (flour)
  • 1kg khoya
  • 3tbsps kismis (raisins)
  • 200 gms almonds (cut into thin strips)
  • 6 tbsps cooking oil. ( keep some more aside for deep frying)
  • 200 ml water
  • 500 gms sugar

Method:

  • Mix six tablespoons of oil with maida. Using fingers, mix well so that the mixture takes the form of breadcrumbs and binds to a certain extent. Now add some water and knead lightly. Keep adding water as required and knead into a soft dough. Set aside and cover with a damp cloth.
  • Put the khoya in a deep-frying pan and fry to a light brown colour. Add sugar into the khoya and mix well. Add almonds and kismis. Fry for a few minutes and remove from the fire. Let it cool.
  • Roll out the kneaded dough into a chapati, thicker and smaller than a normal chapati. Fill half the chapati with the khoya mixture, fold the chapati and seal the round, twisting the edges inwards. Take care that the filling does not ooze out.
  • Deep fry these gujjiyas, a few at a time, till they are a deep golden brown. Fry on a slow fire. When done, take them out with a sieve type ladle, draining the oil completely. Let them drain further on a spread out newspaper, till all the grease is soaked up.

Store in an airtight glass jar.
If you have a different recipe, do share with us at [email protected]

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Thandai

Thandai is a refreshing milk-based drink, accented with bold flavors. It is traditionally consumed in Northern India during the festival of Holi. You can find many variations of this recipe and nothing is quite set in stone so feel free to experiment with spices and proportions.

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 liter Water
  • 2 cups Sugar
  • 1 tbsp Almonds
  • 1 tbsp Watermelon Seeds, skinned
  • 1/2 tbsp Khuskhus (Poppy seeds)
  • 1/2 tbsp Saunf (Aniseed)
  • 1/2 tsp Cardamom Powder
  • 1/2 tsp Rosewater
  • 1 tsp Whole Peppercorns
  • 1/4 cup Dried or fresh Rose Petals

Method:

  • Soak sugar in 1/2 liter of the water used. Keep aside.
  • Wash clean all other dry ingredients, except cardamom if using powder.
  • Soak in 2 cups of remaining water. Keep aside.
  • Allow all soaked items to stand for at least 2 hours.
  • Grind all soaked ingredients to a very fine paste. (not sugar)
  • Use a stone grinder (manual or electric) if possible.
  • When the paste is very fine, mix remaining water.
  • Place a strong muslin strainer over a large deep vessel. Or tie a strong muslin cloth over rim of vessel and use to strain.
  • Press through muslin with back of palms, extracting the liquid into vessel.
  • Add remaining water, a little at a time to extract more.
  • Pour back some of the extract and press, repress.
  • Repeat this process till the residue becomes dry and husk like.
  • Add milk, sugar and rosewater to the extracted liquid.
  • If using cardamom powder mix it in with the milk.

Mix well. Chill for a hour of two before serving.

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Holi is around the corner and if you are enjoy this colorful festival playing with colors, somebody will find you and throw you into a pool of colors. Not taking enough precautions may expose you to skin problems in the coming days. Here are some important tips for skin and hair care for Holi this year.

Skincare tips

  1. Nothing can beat covering maximum part of your body with full sleeved clothes and trousers but the old remedy of using mustard oil/coconut oil/ olive oil/ vaseline over your entire body on the night before and the morning of Holi does wonders in removing the colors easily post Holi.
  2. Apply a good waterproof sunscreen and a thick moisturizer is a must.
  3. Herbal and natural colors like turmeric, tea leaves, henna, marigold flowers etc can be a very good choice for playing Holi as they don’t harm your skin much.
  4. Drink lots and lots of water as skin tends to get dehydrated with the use of chemicals so the hydration should be replenished.
  5. Use of a toner before stepping out to play Holi helps to close the pores of your skin thereby reducing the absorption and the harm.
  6. Another tip would be to remove Gulal with dry hands rather than using water as it spreads even more after water application.
  7. A transparent nail polish can take care of your nails, never rub your skin while removing colours and a facial cleanser is a better choice instead of a soap.
  8. If any irritation develops after the use of colors, wash the area with cold water and apply calamine lotion and a good moisturizer.
  9. Ripe papaya can be an excellent cleanser. Mix gram flour (besan), curd, lemon juice and one tablespoonful of coconut oil to form a paste. Apply the mixture on the face and body, rub it gently on the skin and wash off with plenty of water.

Haircare tips

  1. The best way is to tie your hair and reduce the damage because of colors.
  2. Apply leave-on conditioner or hair serum before playing holi. This protects the hair from the effects of sun exposure and dryness caused by colors.
  3. The scalp gets dry with the chemicals in the colours and the use of coconut oil or rosemary oil prevents it and the conditioner application post Holi takes care of it completely
  4. Hair should be washed with a mild shampoo and lemon juice can be added to prevent dryness and it also takes care of any infection. Don’t over shampoo and try to remove all the color in a single day. if its not going, shampoo nicely the next day.

Wishing you all a very colorful, safe and healthy Holi. Do share if this article was helpful to you in the comments below.

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