Lathmar Holi, in which women playfully beat men with sticks, is celebrated in which towns of the Braj region?

Lathmar Holi is a unique celebration of Holi held in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon, in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh, in the Braj region associated with Lord Krishna. It is celebrated a few days before the main Holi festival, and attracts large numbers of devotees and tourists.

Barsana is believed to be the birthplace of Radha, and Nandgaon is the village where Krishna grew up as the son of Nanda. According to legend, Krishna and his friends from Nandgaon used to visit Barsana to tease Radha and her friends during Holi. The women of Barsana playfully chased them away with sticks. Lathmar Holi recreates this playful episode. "Lath" means stick and "mar" means to beat.

On the day of the celebration at Barsana, the men of Nandgaon, called "hurriyars", come to Barsana, where they try to raise their flag over the Shri Radha Rani temple (Ladli ji temple). The women of Barsana, called "hurriyarins", meet them with long bamboo sticks (lathis) and playfully beat them, while the men protect themselves with shields made of leather or wood. Anyone caught by the women may be made to dress in women's clothes and dance in public. The celebration is accompanied by songs, colours, music and great joy. On the next day, the men of Barsana go to Nandgaon, and the roles are repeated there.

The Braj region celebrates Holi for many days, with events such as the Laddoo Holi at Barsana (where laddoos are thrown at each other), the Phoolon wali Holi (with flowers) at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan, the Widows' Holi in Vrindavan, and the Huranga at Dauji temple near Mathura.

Lathmar Holi is part of the wider Holi celebrations of the Braj region around Mathura and Vrindavan.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Pushkar and Ajmer are in Rajasthan, famous for the Pushkar Fair and the dargah of Khwaja Moinuddin Chishti.
• ✗Ujjain and Indore are in Madhya Pradesh.
• ✗Haridwar and Rishikesh are in Uttarakhand.