New Delhi: Holi is one of the main festivals in North India. This article is especially for those who are planning to travel India during month of March or those who want to take part in Holi celebration. Our main aim is to make the travelers aware of Indian culture and rituals and also to help them to take necessary precautions.

Holi is the “Festival of colors” and marks the victory of good over evil. It’s primarily a North Indian festival. North Indian cities such as Delhi and Jaipur celebrate Holi with much enthuthiasm. South Indians generally don’t celebrate Holi.

To make the experience of Holi memorable all those travelling to India can follow certain tips.

To make it easy for our readers we have planned a list of items that should be carried by the travelers to avoid any inconvenience. The packing list goes as follows:-

* Old clothes or white T-shirt and shorts to wear while playing Holi. You can easily discard them without worrying about spoiling your favourite attire.

* Some nail paints you can apply nail paint to protect your nails from getting coloured for long time.

* Some good quality hair oil. Oil your hair properly before going out to play colours to ensure no damage to your precious locks.

* A Hat to further protect your hair and to some extent your eyes too.

* Sun glasses to protect your eyes as colors may enter your eyes and damage them hence Sunglasses are required to protect them.

* Vasline rubbing it on face, hands and neck before going out to play colors will leave lesser impact on the skin.

* Good quality facial scrub and face packs for after cleaning.

* Good quality skin moisturizer to moisturize the skin nicely once the cleaning is done.

These are the things you should carry with you when leaving for India as there are certain other points that should be kept in mind like:-

* Hair should be covered properly (especially blonde people). If not then the blonds may get multi color in hair for a very long time. Also properly oil your hair to minimize the coloring effects. Hat can also be used to cover your head properly.

* Old Clothes are recommended to be worn during Holi to avoid getting your favourite clothes ruined. Holi stains can’t be removed and you have to bin them afterwards.

Here are few safety tips for travelers during Holi festival celebration in India

Travelling India during Holi, here are few tips to follow for safety:

* Dress properly and wear clothes covering full body. Avoid showing too much skin to avoid unwanted attention from frisky locals.

* Avoid getting the paint in your eyes or mouth chemicals are present in some of the cheaper paints and not only could it make your eyes very sore, but you might end up with green or purple teeth.

* No expensive items leave your expensive jewellery at home/room-safe, as there are chances of it getting lost or stolen during Holi celebrations.

* Carry your mobile phone and wallet in a plastic pouch while playing Holi always cover your Mobile phones and wallets in plastic pouches to avoid water and colors entering them and damaging them.

* Celebrate Holi with known people only do not mix with groups of strangers for Holi celebrations. Otherwise, you may be targeted by miscreants. Avoid walking alone on the streets. Be attentive to rooftops as miscreant boys tend to throw water balloons at the pedestrians.

* Avoid taking pictures with strangers there is no problem taking a picture with a family or group of ladies. But, you should refuse to take a photo with a group of guys or a solo guy. It is better to be safe than sorry.

Gujiyas and Bhaang:

* Gujiya is a special sweet cooked during holi. Bhaang is a recreational drug made from marijuana leaves and flowers mixed with Milk, dry fruits and cardamom. If you wish to taste Gujiya or Bhaang, take it from known hotels, families and friends.

* Don’t take Gujiya or Bhaang from complete strangers as they can mix something else in these items. You may also purchase Gujiya from sweet shop. Don’t over-do bhaang as it is intoxicating drink.

Flower Holi at Mathura Vrindavan:

* Mathura and Vrindavan are undoubtedly the best places in India to celebrate and witness Holi. They are also popular across the nation for the same reason. Other than these two, the small towns, districts, and villages nearby are also popular for Holi celebrations. Famous flower holi played using the petals and organic scented water is main attraction here.

Enjoy Holi:

* These are just precautionary tips and not to scare you. These tips are to ensure you have a safe and enjoyable Holi. If you follow these safety tips and rely on your instincts and common sense, you will have great fun at the festival.

* The police is always there to help you. ‘100’ is the helpline number of police in India. ‘1091’ is the special helpline number for ‘Women’.