Holi is one of the major festivals celebrated in Nepal. It is the festival of color & water. Holi festival is celebrated in India, Nepal, and other regions of the world with significant populations of Hindus or people of Indian origin present there. This festival has in recent times has also spread in major parts of Europe and North Americas as a spring celebration of love, frolic and colors. Holi will take place around 22^nd and 23^rd March of this year.

This festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships. Holi celebrations start with a Holika bonfire on the night before Holi where people gather, sing and dance. The next morning is free for all carnival of colors, where everyone plays, chases and colors each other with dry powder and colored water, with some carrying water guns and colored water-filled balloons for their water fight. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children and elders.

The frolic and fight with colors occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People move and visit family, friends and foes, first play with colors on each other, laugh and chit-chat, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up, visit friends and family. It is a national holiday in India.

Traveler can enjoy this festival by playing colorful colors with friends. The color function will be happens in the varieties of place in Kathmandu like in Kathmandu Durbar Square, Thamel and in the every streets.

By Kamalakanta777 (Own work) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Top photo by Gianluca Ramalho Misiti (Flickr: sem título-25) [CC BY 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons