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FESTIVALS · UTTAR PRADESH · MARCH

Uttar Pradesh festivals in March.

4 festivals this month — dates, locations, and travel tips.

Holi (Festival of Colours)

Mathura

Holi celebrates the love between Krishna and Radha, central to Mathura and Braj region culture. The festival lasts a week, with Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon featuring women playfully hitting men with sticks (symbolising Krishna's village pranks). Mathura's celebrations include colour throwing, bonfires (Holika Dahan), Dahi Handi (breaking pots of curd/butter), and Ras Leela dances depicting Krishna and Radha's love story.

Early March (lunar calendar; 2026: March 4-5)

Lathmar Holi

Vrindavan

Women from Barsana beat men from Nandgaon with sticks. The most chaotic, colorful Holi celebration in India.

March (7 days before Holi)

Maha Shivaratri

Varanasi

Kashi Vishwanath Temple sees a million devotees. Processions through the narrow galis. Night-long worship.

Late Feb / Early March

Sravasti International Buddhist Festival

Sravasti

Buddhist gathering at Jetavana Monastery ruins where Buddha spent 24 rainy seasons, with meditation retreats, Dharma talks, and archaeological tours.

March (varies)

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