Your guide to a safe and happy Holi, enjoy the colours with vibrance and protection
Telegraph | 14 March 2025
Holi will be celebrated on Friday, beginning a long weekend. At the Holi market in Burrabazar, masks and headgear flew off the shelves on Thursday. As did barfis, gujiyas, laddus and savouries.
On Friday, indulge in the festival of colours, but bear in mind that others have the right to say no. Before saying Holi hai, read:
Seek help if someone forcibly tries to play Holi, stalks you on a bike, makes a lewd comment or gesture or if you face any other harassment. You may call:
Senior police officers said “elaborate arrangements” have been made to secure the roads. The cops will undertake special drives to curb drunk and reckless driving. They will also look out for those riding bikes without helmets.
Transport
App cab operators said they would keep their services normal. But expect fewer cars and brace for a surge in fares. There will be a few metered taxis till afternoon, after which their count will increase.
Buses are expected to ply early in the morning and again from late afternoon on Friday.
Ghats
Arrangements have been made at over 60 ghats where members of the Disaster Management Group will be posted on Friday and Saturday to prevent any untoward incidents.
Senior officers said police teams would be present at the ghats to stop revellers from jumping into the water in an inebriated state. “The officers would be at the ghats with loudhailers to send the safety message,” a senior police officer said.
Metro
Metro Railway will run 60 trains on the north-south corridor (Blue Line) on Friday. The services will start at 2.30pm instead of 6.50am. On Green Line 1, between Salt Lake Sector V and Sealdah, there will be 22 trains. The services will start from 3pm. On Green Line 2, between Howrah Maidan and Esplanade, there will be 42 trains. The services will start from 3pm. There will be no commercial services on the Orange and Purple lines.
Weather
Expect a hot day. Maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be around 36 degrees Celsius and 25 degrees, respectively.
Alcohol curbs
Friday will be a dry day till 2pm.
Bars are expected to serve liquor after 2pm but offshops are unlikely to open before evening. Technically, alcohol can be ordered online after 2pm.
Malls and restaurants
Malls will open in the evening. Restaurants, bars and plexes at the malls will also open at the same time. Quest opens at 4pm and Acropolis at 6pm. South City will open at 4.30pm. City Centre 1 and 2 open at 4pm. Most restaurants, other than those in malls, should open for lunch.
Want a blast?
Pick your spot:
The vibrant spirit of the festival of colours influences its fashion, too. White, however, has always been a staple colour for all genders when it comes to styling up a Holi look. After all, no matter what hues you are playing with, white acts as a perfect canvas.
This year, white is expected to be embraced even more, considering the sudden rapid rise in temperature.
What is going to make you stand out in the crowd is how you style the staple white cotton shirts and kurtas.
Women can use scarves in summer hues of red, orange and yellow or fancy hats. It will protect your head from the heat and hair from the colour.
Men can use caps or visors in prints and solids.
Don’t want a blast?
After a round of playing Holi (or not), head to out to the theatres, which will open by 5pm. Catch John Abraham in the political thriller The Diplomat, or keep a date with Robert Pattinson in Parasite man Bong Joon-ho’s sci-fi comedy Mickey 17.
If you want to stream and chill at home, then watch Abhishek Bachchan’s Be Happy, that premieres on Prime Video on Holi. If you are looking forward to watching home-grown series Khakee: The Bengal Chapter, dropping on Netflix on March 20, then brush up on the world of Khakee by catching The Bihar Chapter, also on Netflix.