PVLF 2025

Holi in Regional Literature: How Different States Celebrate the Festival in Words

Explore how Holi is celebrated in regional literature across India, from Hindi bhajans to Bengali poetry, Rajasthani folk songs, Marathi plays, and more.
on Mar 10, 2025

Holi in Regional Literature: How Different States Celebrate the Festival in Words

Holi, the colorful festival, has been an integral part of Indian celebrations for centuries, inextricably linked to the country's literary and cultural fabric. In each state, authors and poets have portrayed the essence of Holi, expressing local customs, mythologies, and sentiments in literature. From Rajasthan's royal courts to Bengal's poetic renderings, the festival has been found richly reflected in literature. Let's see how Holi is described in various regional literary traditions in India.

Holi in Hindi Literature: The Festive Muse of North India

Hindi literature, deeply embedded in folk culture, has been celebrating Holi for centuries. Eminent poets Surdas, Tulsidas, and Kabir have immortalized the festival in their poetry. Surdas, in his Braj Bhasha poems, imagined Holi as a divine festival wherein Lord Krishna joyfully splashes color upon Radha and the Gopis. Tulsidas, in his religious works, frequently referred to Holi as a festival of spiritual ecstasy and divine love.

Modern Hindi literature continues to portray the vivacity of Holi. Premchand and Harivansh Rai Bachchan are two of the writers who have portrayed Holi not only as a festival but also as a feeling that brings individuals above social divides together. Holi is often used as a backdrop by Premchand in his writing to talk about societal issues while retaining its festive appeal.

Bengali Literature: Holi and the Colors of Poetry

In Bengal, the festival is called Dol Jatra, where the Lord Krishna and Radha are showered with colors, songs, and festive marches. The festival features an important mention in the works of Rabindranath Tagore, who composed enchanting poems and songs glorifying the spring mood. His hit song, Ore Grihabasi, khol dwar khol, laglo je dol (Oh house dweller, open the door, Dol is here), perfectly depicts the festive atmosphere of the festival.

Tagore's poems, such as Vaisakh and Phalguni, resonate with the love, nature, and peace that Holi celebrates. Even in contemporary Bengali literature, writers term Dol Jatra a people's and pleasure festival.

Holi in Rajasthani Literature: Royal Splendor and Folk Traditions

Rajasthan, renowned for its royal heritage and rich culture, celebrates Holi in grand splendor. Rajasthani poetry, especially through Lok Geet and folk songs, tells of the festive joys of Holi in royal courts. Poets such as Meera Bai sing of her great devotion and desire in her Krishna's Holi bhajans with vivid imagery of color and festivity.

The state's Phag poetry, which is traditional to the state and written in celebration of Holi, depicts the celebration in palaces and villages. The poems, which are sung to folk instruments, outline the merrymaking splashing of colors, the enthusiasm of processions, and the mood of collective harmony during the celebration.

Marathi Literature: The Spirit of Rangpanchami

In Maharashtra, the festival of Holi turns into Rangpanchami, a celebration all about playing with colors. Marathi literature abounds with descriptions of Holi in folk songs and classical poetry. The great Bhakti poets, Sant Tukaram and Sant Eknath, imbued their devotional works with the spiritual flavor of Holi.

Marathi playwrights and novelists, such as P.L. Deshpande, have also employed Holi as a plot point to describe social harmony, family ties, and celebrations. The rowdy celebrations of Shigmotsav, the Konkani version of Holi, are echoed in Goan as well as Maharashtrian literature, where authors describe the wild dances and celebratory processions.

Holi in Tamil and Telugu Literature: The Southern Colors

Although Holi is predominantly celebrated in North India, it has extended to the South Indian literary pages as well. In Tamil poetry, poets like Subramania Bharathi incorporate the festival into their national and spiritual poetry and connect it to rebirth and harmony themes.

Holi in Telugu Literature: Telugu literature's classical poetry and Padya Natakams (verse plays) describe Holi. Holi is often linked with Lord Vishnu and is referred to in epics and folk lore. Telugu poets have described Holi as a festival of joy, divine revelry, and season change.

Holi in Gujarati Literature: The Folk Songs of Festival Joy

Gujarat's Holi is deeply associated with the stories of Lathmar Holi, folk songs, and Garba dances. Gujarat poets such as Narsinh Mehta have scripted Holi as a celebration of divine love in their bhajans, highlighting the naughty incidents of Lord Krishna with the Gopis.

Modern Gujarati literature has also used Holi as a theme, extrapolating further to discuss nostalgia, transformation, and cultural heritage. The festival is not only a day of colors; it is an experience that reaffirms social bonds and revives past traditions.

Kashmiri Literature: The Subtle Echoes of Holi

Holi is celebrated mainly by the Hindu community, notably by the Kashmiri Pandits, in Kashmir. Ladishah (satirical poetry) and folk songs traditionally rejoice over Holi as a festival of joy and harmony. The presence of Sufi and Bhakti poetry in Kashmiri literature quietly brings out the themes of Holi—joy, rebirth, and good triumphing over evil.

Modern Kashmiri poets also incorporate Holi into their verses, linking it with feelings of longing, nostalgia, and optimism in the valley's complicated socio-political landscape.

Conclusion: A Festival That Transcends Borders and Words

Holi is not a festival, it is harmony, bliss, and the passion of culture insofar as there are rich literary regional literatures in India. With its devotional North Indian bhajans through poetry of the Eastern tradition and its folk narrative through the philosophies of the South, Holi fills an equally unique niche in every tradition of literature.

With literature, Holi continues to be colorful, inspiring generations to embrace its spirit of congregation, colorfulness, and festivity. As we indulge in the hues of the festival, let us also take a moment to appreciate its literary aspects, seeing how different states commemorate this grand festival in their words and actions.