Barsana village

oongnoi

I would like go to Barsana village, near Mathura, in this Holi festival.

- How I go to Barsana from Delhi and Mathura ?
- Have hotels or gesthouses ?
- Barsana, Mathura, or Brindavan, where is the best for Holi festival ?

Thanks

atala

No idea what you mean by "the best" for Holi.

Holi in Barsana is a violent ritual where women beat up men with sticks (ritually but also real) and much color throwing happens. If you are a foreign man I would be extremely careful going there. I do not think there are any hotels nearby, but there are some ashrams. You could stay at Radha-Kund instead, again some ashram, or the U.P. gov guest house a little outside towards Goberdhan.

Wear old clothes if you go out on March 22 morning till noon, since you are going to get colours thrown at you that are difficult to wash off your clothes. Cover your head well so that your hair does not get stained too much.

Colour throwing is a nice ritual to see at any temple where generally only powdered colours are thrown, but outside in the streets it tends to be a bit violent esp for foreigners. It is sort of like Carnival in Europe.

If you carry video or photo equipment, beware of the color dust entering.

The most preferable place to go in my view is to go to a larger temple at Vrindavan. I would go to the Radha-Damodar Mandir or the Radha-Gopinath Mandir, because the temple compounds are a bit more spacious (to avoid being pressed by the masses of people attending).

oongnoi

Thank you so much for detail and warning.

I plan go to Mathura on March 19 and than enjoy around. I would like go to Barsana because it is the origin place of Holi, so i still go to Barsana but will be extremely careful follow your warning especially old cap for my head and many bags for my camera. (^_^)

If i will stay at U.P. gov guest house, where is Goberdhan? It is then before or after Barsana.

I would like to take a photo about night ritaul. I knew that in the night of before Holi day will be have big ritaul. If you said Vrindavan is better, i may be stayed on March 21 - 22.

Thanks again.

atala

I suggest that you google for the details of the festival at Barsana. Here is a brief description.
http://www.holifestival.org/holi-in-barsana.html

it is actually an exchange between two villages, Varsana (Radha's place) and Nandagram (modern Nandgaon, Krishna's place).

You should know in advance when the thrashing actually happens. Holi is not just one day, it is several days, only the colour throwing outside of the Braj area is on the last day morning till noon (often colour dust is used, but originally colour liquid squirted with some kind of syringe was used). The staining type colour which is normally not permitted in temple grounds is also a liquid.

If you can you should give it more time to arrive at the Braj area and make inquiries locally, and find yourself a place to stay. Locals say that several hundred thousand people from Delhi and all around visit the Braj area at this time. Actually I have heard a million comes, but that is hard to believe. A time when the area is probably more frequented than Holi is Krishna Janmastami, the birth day of Krishna, which is generally in August.

You need to be okay with jamming crowds to be in such a place at a time like this. The Braj area is one of the most frequented pilgrimage places in all of India, all throughout the year. Yet there are indeed quiet times during the weeks when there is no major festival scheduled.

If you absolutely want to go there for Holi, you will arrive best by train (for instance the Taj Express from Nizzamuddin/Delhi, early morning) at Mathura. Take a taxi there to Vrindavan, cost around 200 Rupees, maybe more during Holi. You actually should book a hotel well ahead, since the crowd will be faster than you, esp if you arrive so late for the festival. Best would be if you arrive at least ten days before the festival starts.

If you go from Vrindavan to Barsana, you have to go direction Radhakund. In case you come by car from Delhi, Nandgaon is first, then Barsana, then Radhakund, then Goberdhan. Forget that gueshouse I told you, it has only a few rooms and will be long full by the time you arrive. Expect extremely poor infrastructure in these dirty small rural villages. Be careful going out after dark.

atala

I should add, that Goberdhan is notorious for the dacoits living there. The Pandas (brahmin guides to pilgrims) are some of the worst you can imagine. Only at Gokula you may be harrassed more by Pandas. Since Barsana and Nandagaon are relatively lesser visited places (due to far far distances), the Pandas there are less aggressive. There are carriers at Barsana that want to carry you onto the hill.

Goberdhan is a hill which Hindus circumambulate in the belief that that would grant them liberation after death. Which is why lots go there.

Barsana however is worth seeing for the beautiful temple on top of the hill. It is just that: A temple like a fort. Similar in Nandgaon.

oongnoi

Oh!!! WoW thank you, it is very very perfect.

I would like go to this area in Holi festival because I will write this story for magazines. I has routine work but this is my freelance.

Now I has plan go to Delhi on March 17 (morning) or 18 (evening), waiting for ticket, so I am planing go to Mathura on 17 or 19 by bus. I do not think that the train is best way because of expensive. OK.. from your details, I will stay at Mathura all time in this period. I would not like to book some gesthouses before my journey, I know Mathura has many many gesthouses. If I would like stay at Nandagaon, have some gesthouses? Then go around by buses for Goberdhan, Barsana, and Nandagaon.

For evening before Holi I think that may be stay at Vrindavan, but if these are full, I will stay as before at Mathura. On Holi I will go to Nandagaon for join in local men and then go to Barsana with them. I would like to see and take a photo about ritual which hit men with sticks. I know this is very difficult for careful myself and now I fear a little bit. I will be extremely careful going there.

I saw some ritual of Holi festival in TV. 2 childs represent to Kishna and ..?.. on stage and then have many many flowers to spread on them, very wonderful. I would like to know where? and when? or have every places. I think that happen in this area especially in Barsana and Vrindavan.

I will stay arrive to March 24 (Morning) and then go to Agra.

What do you think about my itinerary? Do you have some recomments for me?

Thanks again.

oongnoi

Oh!! I am sorry..!
I just checked again in my lonelyplanet book. Fare of Taj Express has just little different from bus, so your advice is the best. I am sorry for my fool. Now I choose go to by train following your advice.

Sorry and Thanks again.

atala

When you say " many guesthouses" in Mathura, you probably mean Hotels?

There are not many Hotels in Mathura, unless some more have come up recently. Mathura is not a nice place to stay at all. You must understand that when you talk about accomodation in places like Barsana and Nandgaon, that these are villages out in the middle of nowhere. Hardly any tourists go there during the year, except some pilgrims once in a while for just some quick temple visit.

An Indian tourist site says that the Uttar Pradesh (the state were these villages are located) Tourism Board sets up some tents for tourists wishing to see the Holi ceremonies at Barsana. When they speak of tourists, though, they mean Indians visiting. And Indians know what to expect.

Hmmm, what you say about children performing, these are Lila performances. Lila means "divine plays". Whether they would also be enacted on Holi, I can't say. If any, Vrindavan would be the place.

I recommend that you go straight to Vrindavan when you arrive at Mathura with the Taj Express. You can go see a scholar, Mr. Srivatsa Goswami (former Harvard visiting professor) at Gambira, which is opposite Radha-Raman Temple (ask there how to get to Gambira), one of the more beautiful temples in the whole Braj area. Perhaps you can even stay there, because they have a few guest rooms, both at Gambira and the Radha-Raman Temple. (Take Gambira, if offered.)

A British couple, living at Gambira, has published a book with breath-taking photos about the Barsana Holi ceremonies. I forget the title of the book. Mr. Srivatsa wrote a foreword, so ask him, or ask for the British authors, whether they are there. Let them guide you to your best options in what you need, to write a good article. You can see the book on display in shops around Loi-Bazar (center of Vrindavan).

You can visit Agra, the Taj Mahal, on a one-day trip from Vrindavan. Vrindavan has the best tourist infra-structure of all places in the Braj-Area (a radius of approx. 50 km around Vrindavan). And is also the safest place to stay. Try to stay in the old town (Gambira and Radha-Raman), not in Raman Reti near Iskcon (Hare Krishna, = neo-Hindu sect) outside of old Vrindavan, where all the rich people live.

atala

Here is some info on getting to Vrindavan and places to stay, although most places mentioned are outside the old town, near Iskcon, since this is a Hare Krishna site. If I were in your situation, I would book a room with any place you can get and afford, and then still ask at Gambira if they could provide one for you. In case you get one there (unlikely, but who knows), you can let the other one go. (The Gaur-Purnima that is mentioned as a peak season is the same as Holi.)

http://www.iskconvrindavan.com/main/...rs.php#TravVrn

Temple and Garden is a nice secluded place.

If you can afford it, order a taxi from Iskcon, to pick you up at Delhi airport. It is easier and more reliable than a taxi taken from the Airport itself. Iskcon, as a Western Hindu money making enterprise, offers in general Western quality services in India, which is why every Indian visiting Vrindavan wants to visit it also. Due to their increased reliability I would also recommend their services. To get a taste of the traditional Hindu pilgrimage place, however, you better stay within the old town and visit mainly the old places.

oongnoi

Thanks so much for good advices.