Barsana, Mar 6 (ANI): With traditional gaiety and fervour, the residents in Barsana celebrated the 'Lathmar Holi'.
The 'Lathmar Holi' is also a curtain-raiser for Holi that is due to be celebrated on March 11,and to participate in this unique festival, people from far and near visit Barsana.
Men and women in traditional costumes, spraying and sprinkling colours at each other took out a colourful procession through the streets of town.
The revellers sang folk songs and danced in groups to celebrate the legendary 'Rasaleela' or romance of Lord Krishna with Radha.
'Lathmar Holi' played at Barsana, 50 kilometres from Mathura, is unique in a sense as women chase away men by beating them with sticks.
Of course, the men folk are beaten on a wooden shield like thing above their heads with which they protect themselves.
Celebrating an age-old tradition, thousands of enthusiasts from neighbouring villages participate, singing provocative songs to taunt women and prompt them to beat!
The women go on the offensive and use long sticks or staves called 'lathis' to thrash the men revellers, all to the amusement of the onlookers.
"We come here to play Holi in Barsana. We play Holi in memory of the Holi played by Radha and Krishna," said Puroshottam Goswami, a visitor from Amritsar.
"We enjoy a lot. We don't enjoy so much on any other occasion," added Hemant Goswami, another visitor fom Punjab.
Legend has it that Lord Krishna visited his beloved Radha's village on this day and playfully teased her and her friends. Taking offence at this, the women of Barsana chased him away.
Since then, men from Krishna's village, Nandgaon, visit Barsana to play Holi in the town which has the distinction of having the only temple dedicated to Radha in India. By Brijesh Kumar Singh (ANI)
|
|
Comments:
