Holi in Mumbai


Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

Celebrating Holi in India is something I’ve dreamed of doing for a long time but my excitement was mixed with nervousness.

 

I’d read a lot about celebrating Holi in India and many blogs warned that it wasn’t safe for women and that tourists should avoid celebrating Holi in public. Stories of crowds of drunk men and sexual harassment seemed common. I took comfort in the fact that I would be with Matt but still, I was prepared to be on guard.

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

We had armed ourselves with powder and were ready to get colourful. We had heard that the main celebrations would be in the morning so we headed out early to the back streets around our hotel which the previous evening had been positively electric with markets, street parties and bonfires.

 

However, come Holi morning we were surprised to find a pretty subdued atmosphere; people seemed to just be getting with their regular day, and though we encountered a few people with colour on them it seemed a bit underwhelming.

 

We kept burrowing deeper into the back streets, and as we did the atmosphere started to change, as colourful kids with water pistols and bags of powder began approaching us and smearing our cheeks. We returned the favour and as we continued to explore the party seemed to build and build. After an hour or so of wandering around we were pretty soaked and very colourful.

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai!

 

We got the real impression that in this neighbourhood, playing Holi was for the kids and adults involved seemed to take a pretty conservative approach. We decided to branch out and search the main streets of Colaba for more fun.

 

We didn’t really have a plan as we wondered into the Gateway of India plaza so we just posed for a few pictures with locals who found us quite the colourful novelty. A few guys approached us and offered us a couple passes for a boat party. Their friends had failed to make it and it was due to launch in 15 minutes.

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

At first we had to politely decline as we didn’t have enough money on us to buy the tickets, but they were persistent and told us we could pay later – they just didn’t want to passes to go to waste. We were a little nervous but they seemed very genuine so we went for it and got on the boat, which was adorned with balloons, streamers and large trays of colourful powder.

 

Within a few minutes all of nerves drained away; this was clearly a super well organised boat party. No booze; but games, food, spiced tea, music and bags and bags of colour that the young Mumbaikers wasted no time in smearing all over each other (us included!).

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

We danced, we mingled, we played, we ate and we thanked the guys who invited us for a good few hours. It was an awesome atmosphere, a total change from the back street water fights and a hugely enjoyable experience. We felt so lucky, and loved every minute.

 

Celebrating Holi in Mumbai

 

As the boat pulled back into the Gateway to India harbour, we said our goodbyes to our new friends (who insisted we forget reimbursing them for the passes), posed for a few more photos and then waltzed our way back to the hotel, fairly dumbfounded and dazed by the whole thing!

 

Happy Holi, indeed!

 

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