Phoolwali Holi 2024 at Vrindavan: When and how it is played; know history, story

Holi 2024: The auspicious festival of Holi – also known as the Festival of Colours – is celebrated with much pomp across the country. Holi celebrates the eternal love and union of Lord Krishna and Radha. People mark the festival by smearing colour (gulaal) on each other’s faces, throwing water balloons, eating sweets, and drinking thandai. Meanwhile, Lord Krishna’s devotees also congregate at places like Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon, and Gokul, where he spent his childhood. The celebration here is called Braj Ki Holi. The ten-day Braj Ki Holi takes cue from Lord Krishna and Radha’s life to play the Festival of Colours.
The Braj region (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana, and Nandgaon) holds great significance in Hindu mythology as these places are associated with the life of Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu. Holi celebrations (including Lathmar Holi, Laddu Holi, and Chhaddi Holi, among others) in Braj are world-famous. This year, they will be held from March 17 to March 26. On one of these days, people and tourists in Vrindavan will play Phoolwali Holi.
This year, Phoolwali Holi will be celebrated on March 20 in Vrindavan. During Phoolwali Holi, devotees play the festival with flowers and colours made from the natural dye of flowers. Devotees gather at the Banke Bihari Temple of Vrindavan, where a priest representing Lord Krishna showers colourful flowers on the devotees. It is a very popular celebration that draws a huge crowd of visitors.
According to the legend associated with Vrindavan’s Phoolwali Holi, Radha was angry with Lord Krishna because he had not met her for a long time. On knowing this, Krishna immediately visited. He arrived on the second day of Krishna Paksha of Phalguna month. On his arrival, Radha became happy, and greenery was all around them. To appease Radha, Lord Krishna plucked a blooming flower and threw it to tease her. Radha also did the same. Seeing this, the Gopis present there also started showering flowers on each other. Therefore, there is a tradition of playing Holi with flowers started on this day.
Meanwhile, Holi marks the arrival of spring and the end of winter in India. It also coincides with the full moon or Purnima Tithi in the Hindu month of Phalguna. This year, a Penumbral Lunar Eclipse (the first Chandra Grahan of 2024) will fall on the same day as Holi. However, it will not be visible in India and therefore, will not affect the Holi celebrations and the religious rituals.