Holi

Holi in Purvanchal is sung before it is played. The weeks leading up to Phalguna Poornima are filled with Phagua and Hori gatherings — informal baithaks of music and verse. In Varanasi, the days after Holi bring the unusual tradition of Masaan Holi, when ash from the cremation ghats replaces colour. Gujiya, malpua, and thandai anchor the food; the music is loud, lineage-deep, and often bawdy.