Holi is a festival of colours that is celebrated with great enthusiasm all over the country. Men and women splash colours on each other, play and engage in a slew of rituals to mark the festival. However, did you know there's a village in Rajasthan where men leave their houses in the morning on the day of Holi because they are forbidden from playing it? Well, it is true. This happens in the Nagar village in the Tonk district of Rajasthan.
Not only are men forbidden refrain from playing with colours on Holi, but they are also forbidden from even witnessing women play Holi. Wondering where do men go then on the day of Holi? Well, they leave their houses as early as 10 AM in the morning and they head to Chamunda Mata temple on the outskirts of the village. There they spend their time attending a fair and listening to devotional songs.
With no men around, women of the Nagar village take the centrestage and have unabashed fun playing with colours on the festival. You will be surprised to know that any man who plays Holi or witnesses women playing with colours in the village is punished. A man can be told to leave the village if he defies this age-old tradition.
To let women in the village play Holi in an uninhibited fashion, men respect the tradition and leave the village on their own. Interestingly, the day after Holi, both men and women of the village celebrate the festival together. They apply gulaal to each other and women also lash men with whips as part of the tradition.