Mathura (Uttar Pradesh) [India], February 25 : The vibrant and playful Lathmar Holi has commenced in the twin towns of Barsana and Mathura in Uttar Pradesh on Wednesday, marking the beginning of the week-long Holi celebrations that draw devotees and tourists from across the country and across the world.
This centuries-old festival, rooted in the Braj region's lore of Lord Krishna and Radha, is celebrated with colours, music, sweets, and the iconic playful use of sticks, or lathis.

According to folklore, Lathmar Holi symbolises the playful exchange between Krishna's village, Nandagaon, and Radha's village, Barsana. It is believed that Krishna, along with his friends, visited Barsana to tease Radha and her companions, who playfully responded by chasing them away with sticks (lathis).
Thereby, as a part of the traditional festivities, men from Nandgaon traditionally arrive in Barsana as part of the festivities, where local women greet them with mock stick attacks while being doused in vibrant colours.

The air was filled with Holi bhajans and chants of 'Radhe Radhe' as participants smeared gulal (colored powder) on each other, creating an atmosphere of joyous revelry. Streets were adorned with flowers, cultural decorations, and traditional sweets, adding to the festive spirit.
People of all ages, from children to the elderly, enthusiastically took part in the celebrations.

The Holi festivities in Mathura, widely regarded as the birthplace of Lord Krishna, will culminate with grand processions, cultural performances, and temple rituals leading up to the main Holi festival.
Owing to the large crowd, the authorities have deployed additional security measures to ensure a smooth and safe celebration, with local administration closely monitoring crowd management and traffic control.
"Lakhs of devotees have arrived here. The entire region has been divided into 8 zones and 16 sectors for security purposes. Through CCTV, traffic diversion plans, holding areas, and barricades, a thorough security plan has been made. The goal is to ensure that the devotees do not face any inconvenience and have a wholesome celebration," Shlok Kumar, SSP Mathura said.
"Any attempt to harass any female in the celebration will have legal repercussions. To ensure against it, we have Anti-Romeo squads and CCTVs," he added.
Speaking with ANI, District Magistrate of Mathura, CP Singh, emphasises Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's directions for "grand and devotional celebrations."

"Theme paintings on their lives. The entire town is decorated like a bride. Medical, cleanliness, water and other teams have been deployed in small sectors to ensure the safety of lakhs of devotees arriving to participate in the festivities. These guests are our family, we want them to have a pleasant experience so that they want to come back next year too. CM Yogi Adityanth has often directed us to prepare for a devotional and grand celebration," the DM said.
Earlier on Tuesday, the vibrant festival of Laddu Mar Holi kicked off with great enthusiasm at the Shri Ladliji Maharaj temple in Barsana, Uttar Pradesh.
During the celebrations, the temple premises resonated with devotional songs and chants as priests and devotees participated in the age-old ritual.

As a part of the festivities, outside the festival, devotees, covered in colours, celebrated the festival by sharing laddus.