IMPERIA |
OCTOBER-NOVEMBER-DECEMBER 2019
22
Bring On The Festivities!
Four unusual celebratory events to look forward to
Lathmar Holi
Where:
Barsana and Nandgaon towns, Mathura, India
Origin:
One of the most unusual forms of Holi (the festival
of colours) is celebrated in Barsana and Nandgaon towns
of Mathura, India. Played two days prior to Holi, the Lathmar
version involves playful and good-humoured use of
lathis
(sticks, from where this festival gets its name) to teach a
lesson to men who throw colour at women.
Fun and gaiety mark the two-day festival as participants
sing folk songs to pay tribute to the eternal divine lovers
Radha and Krishna. Barsana is the birthplace of Radha,
and the festivities take place at the Radha Rani temple
complex in the town. On the first day, men from Nandgaon,
a town situated about 9 kilometres away, visit Barsana to
play Holi, and on the following day, men from Barsana visit
Nandgaon, a place where Lord Krishna spent his childhood.
According to a legend, once when Radha and her friends
were bathing in the river, Krishna and his mates stole their
clothes from the riverbank. An angered Radha and her
mates dashed to Nandgaon, carrying sticks to teach the
errant boys a lesson. Get drenched in colours and have the
time of your life.
Pingxi sky Lantern Festival
Where:
Shifen, Pingxi district, New Taipei City,
Taiwan
Origin:
Imagine nearly 200,000 paper lanterns
emitting a warm golden glow floating against the
backdrop of the night sky… The surreal dream
sequence looks like a part of a fairy-tale movie.
That is the visual appeal of the Pingxi Sky Lantern
Festival which starts on the 15th day of the first lunar
month, after the Chinese New Year. The festival has
been around for many years now. During the middle
of the 19th century, outlaws would plunder and loot
villages, forcing villagers to flee their homes. The
lanterns were released in the sky as a signal for the
Pingxi villagers to let them know that it was safe to
come back home.
Nowadays, people and tourists write their wishes
on the lanterns before setting them off in the hope
that their ancestors or the universe, at large, will fulfil
them. Every 20 or 30 minutes, a mass of lit lanterns
are released from the main square in Shifen. The
next festival will start on February 8, 2020. Get ready
for an out-of-this-world experience.
s p o t l i g h t
All images: Shutterstock.com
