Watched the Video?
Here’s everything I wish I knew before photographing Holi in India.
Where
Barsana & Nandgaon
Trip
Holi · March · 7 Days · Photography + Festival
Holi 2027
Come With Us Next Time.
I’m heading back to India for Holi in March 2027, this time with a small group of photographers. I’ll lead the photography experience, while my friend Vansh guides us locally and helps us experience Holi from the inside.
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No commitment. No spam emails. You’ll just be the first to know if we make it happen.
What is Holi?
The temple at Barsana, seen from above.
Holi is one of India’s most colorful holidays. It happens every spring, marking the new season and the win of good over evil.
People fill the streets with colored powder and water. Strangers celebrate together, and for a few hours, almost everyone looks the same.
Where does Holi take place?
The celebrations happen across India and usually stretch over several days, with some of the most photogenic events happening toward the end.
We traveled to two small towns near Mathura, believed to be the birthplace of Krishna. Barsana is associated with Radha, while Nandgaon is associated with Krishna. Once a year, the two towns come together to recreate the playful love story between them.
Barsana is built around a hill, with most people arriving at the bottom and making their way up toward the temple where the main celebration takes place.
Hundreds of people packed the narrow streets leading uphill, with colored powder flying the entire way. By the time we reached the temple, it was complete chaos, in the best possible way.
The narrow streets where people walk
What is Lathmar Holi?
Mid Action of Hindu women hitting the men with their sticks
“Lathmar” means “hitting with sticks.” Women hold long wooden sticks while men protect themselves with shields, playfully reenacting the day Krishna teased Radha and got chased out of town for it.
It’s louder and more physical than it sounds. The men know what’s coming. It's all fun and games until one actually smacks you in the head.
What It Actually Felt Like
Holi was one of those events where you truly can't explain to your friends without showing them videos.
The second we parked, my clean clothes were smacked with colored dust from local strangers. Powder was in my hair, my shoes, my backpack, everywhere.
But standing in that mix of crowd at the temple was incredible. The pure energy from the chaos was something I've never felt. And watching everyone dance gracefully with smiles across their faces were truly moments that I'll never forget.
For a few hours, we stopped trying to understand what was happening and just became part of it.
Planning the Trip
Crazy enough, we were actually about to spawn into India without any friends or guides until Vansh, a true local born and raised in Delhi, responded to one of our last minute dms about us seeking a guide.
Not only did he turn out to be the sweetest, friendliest, best travel guide, he also comes from a photography background and knew all the best angles to capture our shots. AND he's fluent in both English and Hindu. Absolute life savor.
Without him, we probably would've been scammed left and right from the all the locals.
While most of our trip was already pre-planned from the homework we did, Vansh helped clean up the itineary with all of his suggestions on where to go. Trust me, no matter how much research you do online, it is always best to have a local who understands.
A Few Pro Tips that I wish I knew before going..
Camera protection. You absolutely need to buy a plastic rain cover for your camera. No need to go overboard with a water housing (although we did see a few) but definitely buy 2-3 as they get demolished by the end of the day.
Baby oil. Not trying to be Diddy, lathering up in baby oil beforehand helps with taking all the color off you at the end of the day.
Sunglasses. This is a must for eye protection. Even with this, we still got colored dust in our eyes and trust me, that wasn't fun cleaning.
Lens choice. A single 24–70mm stayed on all day. My friend rocked the 16-35mm complimenting me with all the wides while I took tight shots (for video)
Expect people pushing and tugging. As foreigners, we stood out like a sore thumb out there. We got pushed around here and there especially in the courtyard of the temple, so just come with the expectation that people will be ruthless out there but understand that they're just trying to have fun.
Exposure & color. Powder in the air scatters light fast. I underexposed slightly to keep the colors from blowing out.
I went there expecting to film a colorful festival. I came home with a much bigger story, and that’s exactly why I’m thinking about going back.
