The festival of Holi is celebrated in the country with a lot of colour being sprayed on family and friends. This year it was celebrated on March 7. Barsana however has it's unique brand of Holi. About 50 km/32 miles to the northwest of Mathura in Uttar Pradesh lies this small town, nestled at the foot of a hill named after Lord Brahma. Its claim to fame is that it is the birthplace of Radha the Sakhi (friend/beloved) of Krishna around whome much of the country's religion, imagery, mythology, music and dance have evolved. Temples dedicated to Krishna and Radha lie all over the hills in the area. The most famous is the Radha-Rani or Ladliji Temple. It is Barsana's most beautiful temple and was built in the seventeenth century by the Bundela Raja Bir Singh Ju Deo of Orchha. In July/August an annual Fair is held at the Sankari-Khor; the area between the hill of the Radha Rani temple and the adjoining one. Legend has it that since Radha lived in Barsana; Krishan would come from Nandgaon, across the Jammuna River, to visit her. The area is famous for its Raslila or divine dance of Radha and Krishna, depicted in numerous miniature paintings and danced to this day. Visit Man Mandir, (300 years old) where Radha used to wait for Krishna. Today you reach it by walking through a rocky forest inhabited by monkeys. Mor Kutir temple is where the birth of Radha is celebrated, generally in July/August. Women feed laddus (sweets) to the peacocks symbolic of Radha serving sweets to Krishna. The Sriji Temple devoted to Radha-Krishna has numerous stairs and an open terrace from where the entire town of Barsana can be seen. Barsana however, comes into its own during the festival of Holi (February/March) a carnival of colour. Professionals and locals dance the Ras, eat the traditional Holi gujiya (sweet) and also make merry by drinking the bhang spiked thandaai (almond milk) Here the celebration of Holi revolves around the legend of the love and romance of the celestial couple Radha and Krishna. In Nandgaon where Krishna spent his childhood and in Barsana, the birthplace of Radha, Holi celebrations go on for days. Streets resound to the sounds and colour of people dancing to folk music with gulal (red colored powder) and colored water flying all over as a kind of benediction. Barsana is famous for its Lathmar Holi. The men from Nandgaon, the traditional home of Krishna, go to Barsana to play Holi where they are beaten by flower-covered sticks (lath's) by the women hence the name of Lathmar Holi. A day later the men of Barsana take the flag of Larily Lal Temple to Nandgaon in a grand procession, which the men of Nandgaon try unsuccessfully to capture. It is the turn of the women of Nandgaon to beat the Barsana men with sticks whilst showering them with colored water, for joy and happiness. So next time around plan to spend Holi in Barsana you will never forget the experience. Barsana is well connected by road to Delhi/Agra and lies 50 km/32 miles away from Mathura, which is 58 km/36 miles from Agra and 145 km 90 miles from Delhi.