Holi, is indeed a much celebrated festival in different parts of the nation. As the region changes, the significance and the delicacies change as well. But the spirit of Holi remains unchanged. As you move to different parts of India the shades of Holi have a different story to reveal. According to the place, the traditions, food and name changes. The following reveals the names of Holi and its delicacies.

1. Dhulandi Holi

When it comes to the people residing in Haryana, They address holi as Dhulandi Holi. On this festival of holi the “Bhabhi” – brothers wife has the right to punish her “Devar”– Husband’s younger brother for playing pranks of putting colors to Bhabhi. On this day the Devars bring gifts & sweets for their bhabhi to ensure that the spirit of happiness remains intact as per the traditional beliefs. On this occasion they celebrate the festival with sweet Gujiya and Mathri along with salted buttermilk with mint.

2. Rangpanchmi

People from the region of Maharashtra renamed this festival of holi as Rangpanchmi. The name Rangpanchmi means the auspicious festival of colors.

In the tradition holi was also named as “Shimga or Shimgo”. This name was given by the fisher man to the festival of holi. On this occasion they dance, sing and make huge pyramid to burst the pot that is been hanged at the height. People celebrate this festival by having different flavor of thandai and sweets like imarti.

3. Basant Utsav

Holi is named as Basant Utsav by the legendary poet Rabindranath Tagore. He called holi as the festival of spring. People since then started addressing Holi as Basant Utsav. People celebrate this festival by chanting hymns, bring colors and folk songs. People of Bengal celebrate this festival by drinking Almond Milk. People of West Bengal also call holi as Dol Purnima. The men wear saffron clothes and play drums offering prayers to lord Krishna and Radha. And Play with “Abeer”, Bengali term form holi colors. Dol Purnima means Swing Festival. Where Radha & Krishna used to swing and so the traditional beliefs are carried forward.

4. Shimgo

People in Goa celebrate the festival of holi as Shimgo (local name of holi in Konkani). On this festival, people welcome the season of spring with bright colors and water balloons. The most important thing about holi in Goa is they carry out a huge procession in Panjim playing the cultural drama of mythological stories. The name of the procession is called to the Shimgmohtav. People on this occasion have rice, spicy chicken, and mutton curry (Shangoti).

5. Lath Maar Holi

People in Banaras celebrate the Lath Maar Holi. It is said that women play a sweet revenge at the cost of the pranks that lord Krishna played with the ladies. It is the tradition in Nandgaon that men apply colors (gulaal) to women and in return women greet men with the sticks. The men get dressed in women outfits and dance in the public as a folk traditional entertainment. People have Bhaang on this lively festival of love along with Milk made food items like Rabdi and kesar milk.

6. Phagu Purnima

People in Bihar named holi as Phagun Purnima. Purnima is a full moon day. Phagu means holy red powder. People celebrate this festival with regard to the Hindu calendar. People celebrate Holi as the festival to destroy all the evil powers and make the rest of the year better. People have Gulab-Jamun on this day along with recipes made with dates and pop-corns.

7. Kaman Pandigai

People in the South India worship Lord Shiva and Kaamdev. They offer prayer to Shiva and Kaamdev, as on the day of holi it is said that Kaamdev was revived. On the other hand, Sati Parvati was meditating to get back Shiva as her Husband. On this day people of Tamil Nadu eat rice kheer after offering to lord.

8. Hola Mohalla

People of Punjab celebrate the festival by holding a practice of fair. They enjoy holi by performing different displays of physical strength like horse riding, playing with swords and standing erect on two horses. Guru Gobind Singh Ji, the tenth guru of the Sikh Community proposed this fair as a means for the mass to gather and enjoy different dare-devil acts. People go to the Gurudwara and attend holy songs and religious lectures. For food, they enjoy eating Kaali Dal, Roti, Butter milk and Wheat flour Sheers on the day of holi.

This is how one can say that it is just one festival of Holi, but celebrated differently in the various parts of the country. Truly, India is certainly incredible.