Eat, play, rain dance! How the festival of Holi got monetised

Close your eyes and picture this: you’re surrounded by a group of people, each armed with bright red tomatoes in their hands, trying to perfect their aim. It’s a setting that closely resembles a scene made famous by the Hindi film Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara (ZNMD). Except there’s one difference: you’re not experiencing the famous Tomatina festival in a sunny Valencian town in Spain. Instead, you’re in Ajmer, playing Holi with a twist. The idea for this Holi-Tomatina mash-up came to advocate-cum-blogger Hamendra Singh Deora when he was brainstorming with friends about how to plan a hatke Holi event. “Someone then played the ‘Ik Junoon’ song from ZNMD, set during the Tomatina, and we thought why can’t we bring this vibe to Ajmer?” Deora says. Within a few days, over 500 people had signed up for the event. Similar Tomatina Holi events are also planned in other cities like Ahmedabad and Jaipur. This Holi-day season, however, people are not only ditching the humble gulaal for tomatoes, but also intimate family gatherings in favour of a wide range of specially curated options, which include trips and concerts to pool parties and boho fests. Event organisers, on their part, are leaving no stone unturned in monetising the festival through ticketed experiences, premium festival passes and exclusive entry to Holi parties. The team behind Sunburn music festival, for instance, is conducting a Holi-themed show, packed with not only a DJ set, but also cocktails, colours, rain dances and Instagrammable decor. Tickets start at Rs 750, and go up to Rs 2 lakh for a table! “Holi has become a cultural event like New Year’s Eve now. Earlier, we used to do only one Holi event but because of the response, we have started doing shows in multiple different cities now,” says Mahesh Chittimalli, senior marketing manager at Sunburn. He adds that the Holi event space has become a “highly competitive market” as it taps sections of the audience who are not regulars to the concert circuit. Elsewhere too, sponsors are jostling to offer ‘premium’ experiences. Delhi’s Jawaharlal Nehru stadium, for example, is set to host what’s being touted as the “most exclusive” Holi experience on March 14 with tickets ranging from Rs 1,299 to Rs 3,999. Almost every five-star hotel has a lineup of DJs, rain dances, and much more. ShowQuotes Away from the hustle and bustle of the cities, options for quieter and more culturally-rooted experiences are also finding takers. “Holi has become a major travel event. Demand for flights, hotels, and holiday packages has increased significantly,” says Rikant Pittie, EaseMyTrip co-founder and CEO. While scrolling through Instagram, 27-year-old Anant Patni came across a number of reels showcasing Braj Ki Holi, a 40-day long celebration that takes place in cities such as Mathura, famous for its lathmar Holi, and Vrindavan. The Gurugram-based software engineer convinced his friend, and both of them quickly booked a train to Mathura. “It’s not about FOMO, but experiencing the festival in a different way,” Patni says. It’s not just the usual suspects like Mathura, Vrindavan and Pushkar that have seen a surge in bookings, says EaseMyTrip’s Pittie. Shillong has emerged as a popular choice, attracting travellers with its picturesque landscapes and a unique blend of traditional and modern Holi celebrations. In Rajasthan, Jaipur’s grand Holi celebrations, including the famous elephant festival, and Udaipur’s royal festivities led by the Mewar royal family have drawn increased interest. Additionally, Shantiniketan in West Bengal, known for its cultural Basanta Utsav introduced by Rabindranath Tagore, has gained popularity among travellers seeking an artistic and soulful experience. The trends differ across age groups, he adds. Young adults (18-30 years) make up the largest segment of Holi travellers, gravitating towards energetic celebrations in cities like Delhi, Jaipur, and Goa. Families (30-50 years) prefer culturally rich destinations such as Mathura, Vrindavan, and Shantiniketan, where traditional festivities are prominent. Seniors (50+ years) opt for serene locations like Udaipur and Varanasi to experience a more relaxed celebration. Uttarakhand-based luxury retreat The Kumaon is offering special packages to travellers to experience the unique local Phoolon Wali Holi celebrations, where guests swap chemical-laden gulaal for natural flower petals, embracing cultural traditions in a peaceful, intimate setting. “We are offering sessions on how to make organic colours with vegetables and flowers. We also have special delicacies prepared during this time like aloo ke gutke, a spiced potato dish, and bhaang ki chutney, a unique hemp seed chutney,” says Abhinav Trivedi, general manager of The Kumaon. Bookings have been “very strong” so far, he adds. Travel curator Srikanth, who is organising a Holi-themed trip to the Sangla Valley in Himachal Pradesh, says the spots were sold out three months in advance. “It’s a chance to experience the four-day festival in the region, locally called ‘Faguli’, which blends together colours and snow with enactments from the Ramayana, folk dances and tribal customs dating back centuries,” he says. Another popular spot that has emerged is the heritage city of Hampi. Nupur Mehta, a 21-year-old student in Bengaluru, is going on one such trip. While it was a struggle to convince her parents that she wouldn’t be coming back to her hometown Kanpur for Holi, she hopes it will be worth it. “I’ve grown up celebrating it in the same lane over the years. I want to experience something new,” adds Mehta.