Every year, the sacred town of Vrindavan draws thousands of devotees and tourists eager to witness its vibrant celebrations of Holi. Known for its temple festivities and colourful rituals linked to Lord Krishna, the town offers what many consider one of the most energetic Holi experiences in India.
However, for an Austrian traveller, the celebration reportedly turned distressing after coloured powder mixed with stones was thrown into her eyes.
“Crazy” day turned painful, says traveller
The tourist, Britta Schlagbauer, shared her experience in a video posted on Instagram, describing her Holi in Vrindavan as unforgettable but not entirely positive.
“Holi Experience in Vrindavan. All in one word? Crazy!” she wrote in the caption. In the video, Schlagbauer said the day began with excitement as she explored the temple town with friends. The atmosphere, she recalled, was lively and intense, filled with colour, music and crowds celebrating the festival.
“Celebrate Holi in Vrindavan, but things didn’t go as planned,” she said in the clip.
Colour, temples and festive energy
She described the celebration as both “wild and beautiful”. According to Schlagbauer, the day included typical Holi scenes, people throwing colours everywhere, animals roaming through the streets covered in powder, and groups of revellers celebrating together.
She also spoke about buying scarves, visiting temples and tasting bhang, a traditional Holi drink made from cannabis leaves. “Monkeys were climbing over us. We had amazing food, visited stunning temples. Holi was wild and beautiful. And then it happened,” she said.
Colour mixed with stones allegedly thrown into her eyes
The mood reportedly shifted suddenly during the crowded street celebrations. “For a moment it wasn’t just fun,” she explained. According to Schlagbauer, people were throwing handfuls of colour every few seconds in the packed streets.
She claimed that someone picked up colour powder from the ground that had small stones mixed in it and threw it directly at her face.
“Unfortunately, someone picked up colour from the ground with stones and threw it straight into my eyes. It burned like hell. I cried it out. I washed it out. But days later, my vision is still blurry,” she said.
Social media users share advice for tourists
The video triggered a conversation online about how visitors should experience Holi safely in India.
Several commenters suggested that travellers avoid playing Holi on crowded streets and instead join organised celebrations at temples or private venues.
“You should have gone to the secret Vrindavan temple and not walked on the road. There are so many beautiful temples, for example, Shri Radha Raman Ji, Radhavallabh Ji and many more are very beautiful,” one user commented.
“Tourists should always play Holi in private spaces not on streets. It is a bitter truth,” another added.
