Key Tips for Experiencing Holi
- Wear white. It's a tradition, and it also shows off the colours better. Plus, you can buy cheap white clothes specifically for Holi and toss them afterward.
- Wear clothes you don't care about. That white linen outfit? It's not coming clean. Ever. We bought ours specifically for Holi and left them behind.
- Protect your electronics. Waterproof cases or ziplock bags are your friends. We saw more than one person's phone meet an untimely water balloon death.
- Buy your own colours. Having your own bag of powder means you can participate fully and reciprocate when someone paints you. You can buy bags all around the city for next to nothing.
- Oil up before you go out. Covering your skin and hair in coconut oil or moisturizer makes the paint easier to wash off later. Don't worry about it ruining your look. Your look will get destroyed in minutes anyway.
- Stay hydrated. Between the dancing, the heat, and the crowds, you'll work up a sweat. Carry water if you can protect it from getting paint-bombed.
- Know your exit strategy. Have a plan for getting back to your accommodation, because by afternoon, the streets are mayhem, it's slow-going through the crowds, and there are gangs of children waiting to ambush you in any quiet alleyways.
- Take breaks. We ducked into that rooftop restaurant for a reason. Watching from above gave us a breather and a new perspective on the madness.
- Shower prep. For us, this whole adventure ended with the longest shower of our lives. The paint gets everywhere. Clear a space in your shower and have everything set, because the paint will spread quickly to towels and clean clothes if you're trying to collect them after you've been colored.
What to Expect at Holi in Udaipur
If you're thinking about experiencing Holi in Udaipur (or anywhere in India), here's what you should know:
- It's a Two-Day Event: The night before is Holika Dahan, the bonfire celebration. The main day is when the colour throwing happens. Both are worth experiencing.
- It's Loud and Chaotic: This isn't a neat, organized festival. It's controlled chaos at best. Expect crowds, noise, and a complete breakdown of personal space.
- You Will Get Wet and Painted: There's no "observing from the sidelines" option here. If you're out in public during Holi, you're fair game. Kids, especially, will show you no mercy.
- The Vibe Shifts Throughout the Day: Mornings are calmer and more family-friendly. By afternoon, things get more intense as crowds grow and inhibitions drop. Know when to bow out.
- Not Everything Stays Open: Most shops and restaurants close for the day. Street vendors and rooftop restaurants are your best bet for food.
- Safety Considerations: We never felt unsafe, but we were mindful. The crowds get massive, the paint can get aggressive, and the general chaos can be overwhelming. Trust your gut about when to leave. Women, especially, are at risk for unwanted attention and groping. Since this is an event where personal space is ignored, and regular social hierarchies are shaken, some people take advantage to touch people inappropriately. This is a known issue in India, and the local government is taking steps to increase enforcement as well as education leading up to the event.
Udaipur is one of the more restrained celebrations, so this kind of thing is rarer, but at the bigger festivals, there are issues every year. It's really unfortunate that such an optimistic holiday is eclipsed by this behaviour, but it's just the reality. If you don't want to risk anything, but want to witness in person, try to book a hotel that has a balcony or rooftop that looks down onto the crowds. You hear the music, feel the energy, and watch the chaos unfold below you, while you stay out of reach.
The Night Before: Fire, Music, and Absolute Chaos
Holi actually starts the night before the main event. Around sunset, the street parties begin.
We headed out from our hotel in our new white linen Holi outfits and made our way to the main temple square. There was a stage and massive speakers blasting out the loudest music I have ever experienced. And I mean ever. The music selection would switch between what I assume was some local club music and some iconic early 2000s western bangers. I'm talking about the "Hips Don't Lie" and "Party Rock Anthem" kind of thing.
At first, there was a smallish crowd around the stage, and the organizers pulled up all of the kids and white women to dance on the stage. This went on for a bit. And I should point out that at this point, there are no paint or water guns, just a big dance party.
Then Things Escalated
At some point, the stage cleared. One of the organizers came out to address the crowd. We couldn't tell what he was saying (he wasn't speaking English), but he was sure getting the crowd hyped. Then, more local dancers came out.
A group of women did what we assumed was some type of traditional dance. Then a man came out in full drag and did the most insane dance that involved him steadily stacking more and more clay pots on his head until he was dancing around the stage with 6 feet of pots wiggling around precariously.
I feel I also need to say that the whole time this is happening, the crazy loud music is still going. The crowd has gotten so big that it's shoulder to shoulder throughout the entire square, with groups spilling out into the connecting streets. And the shop owners' kids are on the roofs of the surrounding shops launching off fireworks at random intervals.
Some of the fireworks exploded just a few meters above the crowd, sending embers down onto people. The police would shout at the kids, and they would wait another 10 minutes before launching their next round.
The organizers would sometimes address the crowd in English, thanking everyone who visited from abroad, but everything else, including crowd instructions, was in Hindi (I think).
The Logistics of Lighting a 20-Foot Hay Stack
Next was a logistical feat even more impressive than the pot-stacking dancer. They had to clear the square.
The police handed out sticks (seemingly at random), and whoever got a stick was deputized to clear the crowds. Everyone moved to the edge of the square and then along the edges of the connecting streets.
I should mention that in the center of the square, there's a 20-foot hay structure. We knew it was meant to be burnt tonight, but we had no idea when or how they'd light it.
When the crowds started clearing, we assumed it was time to light it, but we never expected how.
We lined up with the crowds along the side of the street as the deputized stick police tried to keep the roads clear. This would be a logistical nightmare at the best of times, but this is also India. So about 45 minutes go by as the crowd struggles to organize itself.
Some of the older stick guys were going along and picking foreigners out of the crowd and taking them further up the street. One came up to us too and tried to get us to move because "When the fire comes through, it is dangerous."
We figured if it was safe enough for the locals, we'd stay and see what he meant by "the fire coming through."
Then some of the stick guys put down their sticks and started rolling out hundreds of feet of firecrackers. When one roll would run out, they would just tape together the start of the next roll. Which means every 20 feet, there was a stretch of doubled-up explosives.
We had been waiting for almost an hour, and still nothing happened. The anticipation was palpable. The firecrackers were in place, but they were still waiting on something.
"The Fire Is Coming Through"
Then, with no ceremony, people were screaming and running, and "the fire was coming through."
And that guy was right, and we were not standing in a smart place.
One of the double-stacked sections was right in front of us, and even the single stacks were sending sparks into the walls on both sides of the street. We quickly built a barrier using someone's scooter and Alia's new shawl.
We emerged from our little shield to see everyone chasing behind the sparks as they barreled towards the haystack. It lit instantly, and the crowd surrounded the fire as the music came back on.
The party continued as the hay turned to a pile of ash and then well into the night. We called it a night shortly after the fire to get some sleep before the next day's celebrations.
Morning: The Paint Begins
The next day, we put on our freshly singed outfits and headed back to the same temple. They had the music going at 9 AM, and it was unclear if they ever stopped.
There was already a decent-sized crowd grooving to the music. Walking in, we were freshly showered and in our pure white outfits, so we stood out against everyone else who already had little bits of paint on them.
The paint is central to everything that happens during Holi. Traditionally made from natural powders and dyes, the colored gulal (powder) symbolizes the vibrant colours of spring and the joy of new beginnings. During the festival, people smear and throw the powder on each other as a gesture of love, friendship, and forgiveness, erasing social boundaries and hierarchy in the process. You'll see every colour imaginable: bright pinks, deep purples, electric blues, sunny yellows, and vivid greens. Some people mix the powder with water to create a paste for smearing, while others throw it dry in huge clouds that hang in the air. The colours are meant to be temporary (though they'll definitely stain your clothes), and by the end of the day, everyone looks like a walking rainbow. It's messy, chaotic, and absolutely beautiful. It's truly the visual representation of pure, unfiltered celebration.
Our first few interactions were a bit funny because we had nothing on us yet, but a few friendly guys approached us and even asked us first. It was very calm, and we'd bought a bag of paint so we could reciprocate.
Over the next few hours, the crowds grew steadily. Little dance circles would form, and strangers would teach us new moves, and we would toss a bit of paint on each other.
At some point, we found ourselves on the temple steps looking down at the party, and it was really taking off. Drones were dropping glitter, confetti, and rose petals on the crowd. People were tossing huge clouds of paint into the air, and everyone was having an absolute blast.
Fueling Up
All of the shops and restaurants were closed, but there were some pop-up street food vendors selling samosas. We fueled up (and probably ate some paint) and then headed down to the other main party, which was by the river.
On the way, we were ambushed several times by groups of kids. The kids run the streets, hide on balconies, and pop out of windows with squirt guns and water balloons. A few soaked us pretty good!
Afternoon: Things Get Wild
It's not just the kids, either.
When we arrived at the river party, it was wall-to-wall packed and had a DJ booth at the edge of the river. All of the buildings surrounding the square were apartments, and all of the older people leaned out the window, dumping buckets of water on the crowds and hucking down waterballoons at random.
We danced some more, and we could feel the vibe changing a bit around 1 PM.
We made our way out of the second party, and now the streets are absolutely packed as well. Everyone who had come in from out of town was here now, and the paint was flowing more freely and a bit more aggressively.
It's hard to say for sure if people were just getting caught up in the energy of it all or drinking (no one was drinking openly), but inhibitions were definitely lowering. We didn't have any bad experiences, but we took the tone shift as our sign to go get some lunch.
Watching From Above
One of our favourite places in Udaipur, Neelam Restaurant, was open because it's on the 4th floor.
We had a nice lunch and watched the party rage on the street below. We also watched some kids on the roof next door filling balloon after balloon and hurling them down at the crowds. Their dad came up, but instead of scolding them, he started helping them pick targets.
The Final Ambush
We headed back to our Airbnb after lunch and were, of course, ambushed by a few more groups of kids.
Back at our Airbnb, the family that lived next door were having their own small celebration. We assumed the parents didn't let the kids go out to the busiest parts, and they were so excited to play that we played with them just a bit more before going in and taking the longest shower of our lives.
Is Holi in Udaipur Worth It?
Absolutely.
Holi was one of the most intense, overwhelming, joyful experiences of our entire time in India. It's the kind of thing you can't really explain to people who weren't there. The energy, the music, the colours, the complete abandon, and the community's full immersion: it's all a bit surreal.
Udaipur is a particularly beautiful place to experience it because the old city creates these natural gathering spaces around the temples and the lake. The architecture becomes part of the celebration, with people on rooftops, balconies, and temple steps all participating.
If you have the chance to be in India during Holi, don't miss it. Just go in prepared for chaos, protect your stuff, wear clothes you can throw away, and surrender to the madness.
You'll emerge exhausted, paint-stained, possibly a little traumatized, and absolutely buzzing with the high of having experienced something truly extraordinary.
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