Lathmar Holi

Growing up in Delhi and Bombay I didn't get too many chances to visit my father's ancestral village. In all these years I have been there 4 times. 3 times before the age of 10 and once before I got married at 21. I knew the name of the village 'Bichhor' and that it was in the state of Haryana. I remember the old Haveli (traditional architectural styled Home) with beautiful paneled doors and blue colored walls. I knew the family history and stories that some uncles and aunts would tell us. But I didn't know the exact location of this village on the map of India.

To celebrate my 50th birthday I decided to travel with friends, spend some time in India and to do few things just for myself. One of the most fascinating and unique trip was a photography tour to Barsana and Nandgaon for 'Lathmar Holi'. This had been recommended by my architect and photographer friend who actually insisted and arranged this tour for me saying "what is the probability of you being in India in March and then just at the right time for this festival". Since she did all the legwork and I was going with a group, I didn't do any of my own research..Just set out to Vrindavan in the state of Uttar Pradesh equipped with my IPhone pro camera. 

A little information about Lathmar Holi...Mythological stories tell us that Lord Krishna was from Nandgaon village and his soulmate Radha from the adjacent village Barsana. During this festival a role play happens where men (as Krishna and his friends) from Nandgaon visit Barsana to play Holi, that is to color the women (Radha and her friends). They sing folk songs, flirt and tease trying to entice the women to play Holi with them. instead the women reciprocate by hitting the men with Lathis (sticks) to drive them away, thus the name 'Lathmar Holi'.

The next day in Nandgaon, the Holi celebration happens in Nandbaba temple courtyard. There are thousands of people and at least thousand photographers from all over the world. The ceremony and the amount of color that is used is mind blowing and breathtakingly beautiful. It is transcendental and very unique experience. There is music with drums, people dancing and transgender women doing the mystic dance. This is the only day when transgenders are allowed in this temple complex. In the end the whole floor is slippery with colors and water on white marble floor. 

As we were roaming the small gullies around the villages, taking pictures talking to the villagers, the dialect of Hindi was very familiar, the folk songs sounded just like how my aunt would sing during weddings. The houses, the Havelis and that one particular house with blue door and light blue walls was exactly like my ancestral home. This place made me feel very nostalgic. 

There were these two village boys who were part of the team to help guide visitors around. There were at least few hundred photographers but they still got me a nice safe spot to sit and watch the whole program and then started calling me Mausi (Mausi is mom's sister). They put enough color on me but were teasing me with respect. The next day I saw them again in Nandgaon, they played Holi and colored me completely but not once did I feel that they misbehaved. They kept calling me Mausi. The Mathura TV channel was also there and they wanted me to talk about my experience with the festival. I was so confused because I didn't even have a big cameras around my neck to look professional, but they wanted me to speak first, which I did and felt really good and special.

I had so many questions about this place but no internet to research, so after reaching home the first thing I wanted to know was the location of Bichhor on the map of India. My father explained that Bichhor is in Haryana which became a state in 1966. Before that all these villages were part of the Braj area (Lord Krishna's birth place). Thus the name Bichhor 'Braj ka chhor' (end of Braj). That explained the same dialect, same architecture, same culture, same food and same folk songs. 

That solved another mystery for me...My love for milk, cream (malai), paneer and milk sweets(mithai). I guess I am from the land of Krishna. Now I also understand why I craved milk and milk mithai when rest of the women wanted chocolates. 

My father told me we have many relatives (far off relatives) in Barsana and Nandgaon. My grandfather also lived in Barsana for many years with his Mausi. I do regret that I didn't know all this before I went there. My whole outlook and interaction with people would have changed. Instead of telling everyone I was from Delhi, I would have proudly told them I was from Bichhor. I could have been that real Mausi in Barsana.

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