It is a week of festivities in India, starting from Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh, grand Elephant and Gypsy festival in Rajasthan to Spring festival in Goa and temple festival in Kerala. Most of these festivals begin this week from 13th March with some of them lasting for about ten days or even till the end of March. Here’s a look at some of the festivals and the weather during this period:
Lathmaar Holi - Holi might still be a week away for most of the country, but it has already kick-started in Barsana, the birth place of Lord Krishna’s beloved Radha. According to a legend, women beat up men with laths or wooden sticks and chase them away, just the way Radha and other gopis chased Krishna away from Barsana. In turn men throw colors or rang at the women. This show of colour and splendour offers a unique spectacle for the tourists, thousands of who visit every year to capture these moments in real life. The weather in Mathura and Barsana during this week of ‘Lathmaar Holi’ is expected to be sunny and dry with minimums settling between 13⁰C and 15⁰C. Maximums will settle between 27⁰C and 28⁰C. However Mathura did receive good showers on Sunday and Monday.
Elephant Festival in Jaipur - Not just Mathura and Barsana, Holi celebrations have begun in Jaipur too. The grand Elephant festival in Jaipur will begin on the 16th of March. This is a festival which is celebrated for the royal elephants of Rajasthan, who are decorated with colours. Elephants are painted on their foreheads, trunks and feet with floral motifs and adorned with ornaments and jewellery from tusk to tail. With the nagada or drums playing in the background, these gigantic animals then catwalk along with camels, horses and Rajasthani folk dancers. According to latest weather update by Skymet’s Meteorological Division in India, Jaipur would observe mainly clear weather on the 16th and 17th of March. Patchy clouds will fail to bring any rain in the city. Weather in Jaipur will be hot with maximums reaching up to 30⁰C and above while the minimums in the pink city will settle around 17⁰C. Tourists may not feel the need to wear any woolens while visiting this culturally rich city.
Thirunakkara Arattu and Chinakathoor Pooram in Kerala - The annual ten day festival of Arattu (or the ritualistic bathing of idols) is celebrated at Thirunakkara temple at Kottayam in Kerala where the temperatures are already soaring at 33⁰C. However, the heat and humidity does not bog down the spirit of the people as Kathakali performances are held all night amid breezy weather in Kerala, with a minimum of 23⁰C. The Thirunakkara Arattu festival begins on the 15th of March and ends on the 23rd of the same month. Chinakathoor Pooram, a temple festival is held around the same time in Kerala (beginning on the 14th of March) in Palakkad district of Kerala. It is a visual fiesta of over 30 beautifully adorned tuskers and several well decorated horses and bulls.
Photo by stevebloom and easeyourtravel.
