The year in Braj and beyond — ten celebrations that fill temples with colour, food, swings, chariots and all-night song.
Mathura, Vrindavan, Dwarka, worldwide
The birth of Krishna, celebrated with fasting until midnight, the bathing of the infant deity, cradle swinging, and night-long kirtan. In Maharashtra the next day brings Dahi Handi, when human pyramids break a high-hung pot of curd.
Gokul & Nandgaon
Nanda Maharaj's celebration of his son's birth, marked by the joyful throwing of turmeric, curd and butter, and the distribution of gifts across Braj.
Barsana, Vrindavan
The appearance day of Radha, when Barsana's hilltop temple is decorated in flowers and devotees are permitted a rare darshan of her feet.
Vrindavan, Dakor, Nathdwara
The night of the Rasa Lila. Kheer is left under the moon to absorb its nectar, and temples hold all-night dance and song.
Govardhan, Nathdwara, everywhere
A hill of food — sometimes hundreds of dishes — is offered to Krishna in memory of the lifting of Govardhan, and cows are worshipped and garlanded.
Barsana, Nandgaon, Vrindavan, Mathura
Braj celebrates for over a week: Barsana's women drive off Nandgaon's men with staves, Banke Bihari holds a Holi of flowers, and the widows of Vrindavan play with colour too.
Puri and ISKCON temples worldwide
Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra ride out of the temple on three towering wooden chariots pulled by hundreds of thousands of devotees.
Vrindavan and Braj
The swing festival, when Radha and Krishna are placed on flower-decked swings during the monsoon.
Kurukshetra
The anniversary of the Bhagavad Gita's telling, marked by mass recitation of all 700 verses and an international festival at Kurukshetra.
Vrindavan, Mayapur
The holiest month for Krishna devotion: small ghee lamps are offered every evening to Damodar, the child bound by Yashoda's rope.