When CNN photojournalist Steve McCurry was sent to India on a two-week assignment to cover the annual Holi Festival or Festival of Colours, he had no idea that he would lose his heart and not return home for more than two years. India is indeed an enchanting country, but with the added “holi spirit”, it is nothing less than captivating.

There are three stories behind Holi, none of which stands above the others and all of which are celebrated annually in March with bonfires and smearing of fellow festival-goers with a diverse palette of powered paint.

It’s widely believed that Holi is a celebration of spring, a colourful farewell to the dullness of winter. Another story concerns the love affair between Lord Krishna and Radha, which earned the festival the nickname South Asia’s Valentine’s Day. And then there’s the “good versus evil” version. As this story goes, a demon king named Hiranyakashipu banned his son Prahlad from worshipping the god Vishnu, but Prahlad continued. So King Hiranyakashipu sentenced his son to death on the stake. During the ordeal he could be held by his aunt Holika, who was immune to fire. Prahlad prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe, and when the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as aunty Holika burnt while Prahlad survived. Apparently before she died Holika, who was evil, begged for forgiveness, so Prahlad decreed that she would be remembered every year at Holi.

Whatever the truth, the Festival of Colours is a wondrous celebration of life and an opportunity to abandon all hierarchical structures. Here everybody is equal – man, woman, rich, poor, politician and blue-collar worker. Indian newspapers revel in showing top ministers being drenched in paint by the people, with no consequences besides a laugh.

But like the festival’s stories, there are diverse ways to celebrate Holi too, depending on where you are and what you’re looking for:
Traditional Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan

These two temple towns are situated four hours from Delhi, and Holi celebrations here last for 40 days as residents believe in the love story, and Mathura is where lover boy Lord Krishna was born, while Vrindavan was where he spent his childhood. During the festival, dancers gather to depict Krishna’s flirtations with the village maidens and are backed by the glorious voices of local folk singers.

Modern Holi in Delhi
In Delhi, Holi has been renamed “Holi Cow” and has become a rowdy festival of music and madness. The celebrations are well known for the famous DJs and live bands but even more so for the bhang lassis or, get this... marijuana cocktails! Although marijuana is banned in India, many a blind eye is turned during festival time. And to add to the atmosphere, and mess, sprinklers are strategically placed throughout the city to wet, or rather whet the hearty party appetite.

Cultural Holi in Shantiniketan, West Bengal
Here Holi is a celebration of spring and was brought to the area by famous Bengali poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore. He officially declared the festival an annual event at his university. Students still offer a kind of Grahamstown Festival vibe today, with theatre, art, music and dancers followed by the usual throwing of colours, of course.

Folk Holi in Purulia, West Bengal
Holi in Purulia is not just a festival – it’s a means of survival. Hosted by the villagers, this three-day event is a showcase of all things folk. Enjoy a wide variety of unique folk art, including the remarkable Chau dance, Darbari Jhumur, Natua dance and songs of West Bengal’s wandering Baul musicians.

Elephant Holi in Jaipur
An elephant is an unlikely canvas for a colourful painting, but the incredible detail used on these pachyderms is something to behold. An important part of the Holi festival in Jaipur, elephants entertain visitors and locals with parades, beauty contests, folk dancing and a grand tug-o-war between man and beast. We know who our money is on!

Tribal Holi in Banswara
In the Banswara district of Rajasthan, Holi is the main festival of the local tribes. Donning traditional dresses and carrying swords and sticks, tribe members perform their Gair dance – a special dance of the area.

Other things to do in India
Delightful Delhi

Everyone should make the four-hour trip from Delhi to Agra to witness the greatest symbol of love ever, the Taj Mahal. But it is interesting to note that in Delhi itself there’s a grand architectural structure that attracts more visitors than the Taj Mahal – and surprisingly more than the Eiffel Tower and Empire State Building too. It is called the Lotus Temple or the Baha’i House of Worship, and after six years of careful construction it opened in 1986. It boasts more than four million guests per year, which works out to more than 13 000 visitors per day. The temple, which is modelled after the famed lotus flower, is unique because it observes the sanctity of all religions.

Where to stay?
Tikli Bottom

Okay so you’re still going to make the trip to the Taj Mahal. Instead of staying in really expensive accommodation in Agra, why not look for something unique along the way? Try the Tikli Bottom Country Retreat in Tikli Village.

The fact that the retreat is owned by two former British diplomats who refused to go home after their post was up explains the name. And it is home to great British humour.

Tikli is a mansion designed around a gorgeous courtyard, which can be seen from all four of the beautifully styled en-suite bedrooms. The Retreat claims that no bed in India is as comfortable as theirs, no air cleaner and no food more organic or tasty – and many visitors have put them to the test and come back for more.

www.tiklibottom.com