Lakshman (das) Vrindavan (IN): Holi !The one of most prominent festival in vraj ,which is heart of each and every vrajvasi .In this day Nandagram brahmans offer a beautiful flag to their lordship Sri Sri Krishna Balaram at Nanda Bhavan. Gloriefy the lord with Holi songs throwing dry color and do parikrama of nanda’s palace. Then after with tumultuous kirtan proceed towords peeli poukhar at Varasana. With colorful turban on head all vrajvasi who came from Nandagram starts climbing up to take darshan of srimati Radharani at Vrishabhanu palace situated on top of Brahmachal mountain .at the same time group of brahmans from barasana welcomes opponent group with dry color. Now both group seat in two direction facing to Alter and offer Holi songs. At the same time the Varsana Brahmans was spreading colourful rain with their pichkari. There is place called “Latth mar galli” a narrow road, from where thousands of married gopies holding bamboo stick in their hand starts beating to nandagao brahmans , in response they tries to protect with sheld. This is one of the famous festival in Varasana called “Latthmar Holi”.This is a day from holi starts in whole 84 crose Vraja mandal area. At Nandagram, the ‘latthmaar holi’ is also famous like Varsana. The men of Varsana known as ‘gops’ raid Nandagram and try to mark their victory over the temple of Nanda Bhaban by furling flag over it while the women of Nandagram try to fend them off with long bamboo sticks. The men are well padded because they cannot retaliate to the women and can only try to keep them off by sprinkling colored water on them. In case they get trapped, they are dressed as a lady in a sari and cosmetics are applied and they are made to dance like a lady. It is said that even Lord Krishna was made to dance like this by the ‘gops’ of Barsana. Holi songs known as ‘Hori’ are sung by the men and women and are mostly based on the dialogues exchanged between Krishna and Radhika. It is said that the tradition of playing colors on Holi originated from the ‘leela’ of Radha and Krishna. As Krishna was always jealous of Radha’s fair complexion, he teasingly colored Radha’s face with color. In a mischievous mood, Radha also ran behind him badly annoyed and shouting. This was how the tradition of applying color came in being and is religiously followed till date. People of Mathura and Vridavan associate Holi with the divine love of Krishna and Radha.

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