Wear clothes that you plan to leave behind
Or bring some white clothes and take home a Holi tie-dye.
Want to keep your current hair color?
Cover it with a hairnet or shawl. You’ll see a lot of pink—India’s color of hospitality—so if you look forward to looking like a pinkhaired punk rocker, this is your festival.
Beware of color bombs dropped from above
Don’t take it personally; it’s all in good fun.
BYOD
Bring your own dye if you’re concerned about potential skin allergies because some people have had bad reactions to the Indian dyes.
Participate in a Color Run if you can’t make it to India
These local 5K runs take the color traditions of Holi and are becoming very popular in North America.
Other Amazing Celebrations
Holi is more celebrated in the north than the south of India. Rajasthan, Goa and the cities/districts of Delhi, Varanasi, Mathura, Manipur and Mumbai (especially Juhu Beach and Colaba) are famous for having the wildest and most photogenic celebrations. Fly into Delhi (DEL) or Mumbai (BOM) and take a bus, train or taxi. Renting a private taxi can be safe and surprisingly economical. In Jaipur you’ll see some beautifully adorned elephants the day before Holi, as well as elephant beauty contests, tug of war and polo matches. Consider Shantiniketan, where India’s poet laureate, Rabindranath Tagore, introduced the festival to his university, and students wear yellow (the color of spring) and sign special Holi songs composed by Tagore. In Udaipur, the royal family hosts an elaborate function at the City Palace.