Thandai & sweets A chilled, spiced milk thick with almonds, fennel and saffron is the drink of the day — passed around between handfuls of colour, alongside trays of festival sweets.
- The tradition
- The festival of colours celebrates the arrival of spring and the victory of good over evil, recalled in the legend of Holika and the devotee Prahlad.
- Customs & rituals
- The eve is lit by Holika bonfires; the next morning the streets dissolve into clouds of gulal — coloured powder — and water, with music, dancing and no rank between players.
- What people wear
- Old white clothes, worn precisely so the colours show — by evening, no two people look the same.
On the table
4 recipes to cook for Holi.
Plan a Holi party →
North India (Banaras / Uttar Pradesh, the heart of thandai country) · Indian
Thandai (Spiced Almond & Saffron Milk for Holi)
North India's festival cooler: chilled milk blended with almonds, fennel, cardamom, peppercorn, poppy and saffron. The fragrant, nutty drink of Holi and Maha Shivratri — made from scratch.
North India / pan-Indian (and across West and South Asia) · Indian
Jalebi (Crisp Syrup-Soaked Spirals)
India's festive sweet: fermented batter piped into spirals, fried crisp, and soaked in saffron syrup. Crunchy outside, juicy inside, and best eaten hot.
North India / pan-Indian · Indian
Gulab Jamun (Milk Dumplings in Rose-Cardamom Syrup)
The king of Indian sweets: soft khoya dumplings fried to deep gold and soaked in warm rose-and-cardamom syrup until they swell, juicy and melting. The dessert no Diwali or wedding is complete without.
Maharashtra · Indian
Puran Poli (Maharashtrian Sweet Stuffed Flatbread)
A soft, ghee-glossed flatbread stuffed with a spiced chana dal and jaggery filling — the festive sweet of Maharashtra made for Holi and Gudi Padwa. Fragrant with cardamom and nutmeg, tender enough to tear with your fingers.