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Tales From The Road: Happy Holi

Guest post by Dominik von Werdt

Hampi is, like all of India, a place of stark contrasts. One moment you hate it, and the next moment you love it.

This place really is a tourist trap, filled with dozens of restaurants, guest houses, souvenir shops and travel agencies. Then again, there are the terrific surroundings – awesome landscapes with thousands of boulders piled up and dozens of ancient temples. Most of them were built between the thirteenth and the sixteenth century when the Vijayanagar empire, whose capital was Hampi, had its peak time.

We couldn’t have possibly hit a better time to be here in Hampi – Holi is on, the Hindu ceremony to celebrate the end of winter. Not that there was much snow to be melted anyway, but now the really hot season starts.

Holi is celebrated during two days.

The first day, bonfires are burning on the streets, then drummers come in. They walk through the alleys of Hampi Bazaar while more and more people join in and dance in ecstasy.

Then the second day, war is on – paint war. Whenever you set foot out of the guest house, you can be sure to be covered in pink, green, orange, red and whatever hues the paint stalls sell. Not to forget the occasional egg smashed on your head, of course.

A local told me today that you have to stay either three hours, three days or three months in Hampi. Since I don’t have three months to spare, three days are just about right to get an idea of what this place is about. Next stop: Bangalore.

Ed’s Note: This post is not a stand-alone, it’s the fourth in an ongoing series, written from the road. Keep your eyes peeled for the next update on Dominik’s adventures in India.

Related stories:
‘Tales From The Road: Mumbai Madness’ (Backpackers.com)
‘Tales From The Road: Planning A Trip To India’ (Backpackers.com)

Useful related resources for backpackers:
World66.com Hampi Travel Guide – a travellers’ guide to Hampi
Wikitravel – travel info for Hampi
Hostels in India – find and book cheap hostels at special discounted online rates.
Cheap travel insurance for backpackers – get a free insurance quote and make sure you’re covered.

(Photos by Ben Silbermann/Flickr and Dolly/Flickr)

Posted in Destinations, From The Road, General Travel