The festival of color is celebrated throughout the nation but Holi in the Braj region is marked by merriment and vivaciousness that is not matched by other parts of the country. The gayety in the atmosphere is stupendous in Mathura, Barsana, Nandgaon and Baldeo. The festival of Holi is celebrated in the small town of Baldeo located at a distance of about 20 km from Mathura by the name of Dadjee Ka Huranga.
Description of the Dadjee Ka Huranga in Baldeo, Uttar Pradesh
The most striking characteristic of Dadjee ka Huranga is that here Lord Balaram or Baldeo replaces Lord Krishna as the presiding deity of the festival. There is a temple dedicated to him in the heart of the town and that is the prime spot of the celebrations.
A wild craze marks the festivities. Men and women assemble within the premises of the temple by afternoon. Sangeet Samaj, a kind of devotional music fills the atmosphere. Then they drench each other with hues of myriad color. The ambience is very colorful and joyous. From the roofs of the temple women pour buckets of colored water on the men.
The men tear off their clothes. Whips are made of these clothes and are used to beat the men up. It is all done in the right spirit. However the men are not permitted to touch the women or remove the veil from their faces.
You have no respite even if you are an on looker. You will be dragged into the merrymaking and soaked in colors. But there is no doubt that it is thoroughly enjoyable. Fun, frolic and loads of delight mark the Dadjee ka Huranga.
Time for celebrating the Dadjee Ka Huranga in Baldeo, Uttar Pradesh
It is celebrated two days after the day on which Holi is celebrated throughout the country. Holi is celebrated on full moon day in the month of Phalgun. Dadjee Ka Huranga comes two days later. It falls either in the month of February or March according to the Gregorian calendar.
