This Is The Only Indian City That Celebrates Holi For 7 Straight Days

Holi 2025: The festival of colors will soon be celebrated all over in India as this year Basant Utsav is dated on March 14. Every corner in the country marks Holi with its customs and significance. Unique traditions such as Mathura's Lathmar Holi, Barsana's Chhadimar Holi, and Vrindavan's celebrations with flowers and laddus have fascinating stories behind them. However, Kanpur’s Holi Bee aka Ganga Mela remains a standout and continues to be talk of the town.

How Ganga Mela celebrated?

Well, Kanpuriyas celebrate the festival of colors for almost a week. On the day of Ganga Mela, featuring a vibrant cart-based parade. This procession starts at Hatia Market, passes through more than a dozen historic neighbourhoods like Nayaganj and Chowk Sarafa, and ends at 2 pm at Rajjan Babu Park in Hatia. 

Later in the evening, the Ganga Mela continues at Sarsaiya Ghat, where people from across the city gather to exchange Holi greetings. This year, the event will mark its 83rd anniversary.

Also Read: Holi 2025 On March 14 Or 15? Check Correct Dates Of Choti Holi, Badi Holi Here

Why is Ganga Mela celebrated in Kanpur?

Kanpur has not celebrated Holi for seven days as of today; the tradition actually began 82 years ago, in 1942. People gather on the banks of the Ganga to celebrate this revolutionary festival by throwing colours at one another. The unique Holi in Kanpur traces its origins to the traders' freedom movement of 1942.

During this movement, the British authorities arrested and imprisoned around 45 individuals, including revolutionary youth like Late Gulab Chandra Seth, Budhulal Mehrotra, Naveen Sharma, Vishwanath Tandon, Hameed Khan, and Giridhar Sharma. Despite their efforts, the British struggled to capture the rebels. In protest against the arrests, Kanpur's entire market shut down as locals, traders, workers, and writers united in a campaign against British rule.

On the fifth day of Holi, marked by the Anuradha Nakshatra, the revolutionaries were released. The entire city gathered outside the jail to welcome them. Upon their release, people painted the revolutionaries' faces with vibrant colours, marking the beginning of this historic celebration.