1. Lath Mar Holi
In a village called Barsana in UP this type
of holi celebrations are very famous. It’s usually played in the compound of
Radha-Rani temple.
It is said that Lord Krishna used to come
to Radha’s village on this day but the women of the village use to chase him
away taking offence of his pranks.
The current day celebration is an enactment
of that day where the women clearly enjoy beating the men with heavy sticks,
whereas men use shields to protect themselves from the raining blows. The best
part is no offence is taken even if any women accidently hits anyone.
2. Devar-Bhabhi Holi
In some parts of Northern India
(particularly in UP) playing this type of Holi is a family custom where sister-in-law
will beat her brother-in-law with a sari rolled up in a rope drenched in water
in a mock rage whereas the brother-in-law will try to throw color on her. As
the evening nears, everyone forget the pranks and sits together having sweets.
3. Human pyramid and a hung pot of buttermilk
It is believed that the festival of Holi
originated from the city of Dwarka in the present day Gujarat.
It is a 2 day festival where on the first
day people light a bonfire. On the second day a pot of buttermilk is hung over
the streets and young boys try to reach that pot with a motive to break it and eat
the buttermilk kept inside. This is another enactment of Lord Krishna who used
to steal the buttermilk.
The boys make a human pyramid standing over
each other’s shoulders to reach the pot braving the heavy splashing of coloured
water thrown by the gopis (girls) standing on the balconies of their houses.
4. Kaamadeva Puja, the god of Love
It is believed that Lord Shiva once burnt
down Lord Kaamadeva for making him fall in love once again with Parvati, but
when Kaamadeva’s wife pleaded Lord Shiva for Kaamadeva’s life, he gladly
accepted to do so and brought him back to life.
Certain places in South India people
worship Lord Kaamadeva for his extreme sacrifice for the sake of humanity and for
facing the wrath of Lord Shiva in the process.
Now that you know where the cupid thing
came from, you should also know who to worship if you’re in Love ;-)
