Holi, or the “Festival of Colors,” and in Nepal, it is celebrated on the full moon day in Nepali Fagu month, just before the monsoons return to the valley. If you’re not ready to be pelted with colored chalk and sprayed with water, it is not worth venturing downtown, much less outside.
The festivities start slow, with women in colorful red saris placing offerings in Durbar Square, and Chinese tourists, starting early, dressed in white shirts pelting each other with colored chalk and jumping up and down in frenzied circles. As the day progresses, the festivities overtake the rest of the city, and people everywhere have streaked faces and party eyes. Some bars host private Holi parties, while other celebrations play out on the public streets, from small children ambushing passing victims to groups of friends running through the streets, pelting each other and others with fluffy rainbow clouds.
