Yogi celebrates Holi at Gorakhnath Temple, says no class, caste, or region this festival

On Tuesday, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath attended Holi celebrations at Gorakhnath Temple in Gorakhpur district, saying that everyone is celebrating the festival of colours together and that there is no caste, class, or regional divide.

“I wish everyone a very Happy Holi. Holi always inspires to not to keep any kind of hatred, or jealousy towards anyone in our mind. There are occasions when everything is dedicated to the nation – these festivals are giving us that inspiration. There is neither a caste nor a class or regional divide. Everyone is celebrating Holi together. What can be a bigger occasion to give a message of unity?” said CM Yogi.

In the Indian subcontinent, the Holi festival, which celebrates the spirit of inclusiveness and humanity, heralds the arrival of spring after winter. The festival commemorates the triumph of good over evil and is observed on two days: Holika Dahan and Holi Milan.

Meanwhile, to maintain the festival’s traditional fervour and essence, devotees flocked to the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, Mathura district, on Wednesday to offer prayers on the occasion of Holi.

Devotees in large numbers were seen at the temple with sweets and colours in their hands. Mathura has a long history and significance in the Holi festival. According to Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna travelled from Nandgaon in Mathura to his beloved Radha’s hometown of Barsana to celebrate the festival with her.

Earlier on March 7, devotees celebrated Holi enthusiastically at the famous Priyakant Ju Temple in Uttar Pradesh’s Vrindavan. However, Barsana, a small town about 42 kilometres from Mathura, is well-known for its Lathmar Holi celebration. During this celebration, women chase after men with ‘lathis,’ or sticks, and hit them playfully. Men, on the other hand, arrive armed with a ‘dhal,’ or shield.

Holi celebrations in Barsana, Mathura, and Vrindavan, also known as Radha and Krishna towns, begin on Basant Panchami and last for more than a month. Thousands of devotees and tourists flock to Mathura and Vrindavan to experience this wild version of Holi.

The festival of colours is widely observed in India. To commemorate the festival, people throw “gulaal,” or dried colour, on each other and sing and dance. People celebrate the triumph of good over evil on this day and officially welcome the spring season.