Dol Jatra 2022: From date to significance, here's all you need to know about the much-awaited festival

Dol Jatra is predominantly celebrated in West Bengal, Odisha and Assam. According to the Hindu calendar, Dol Purnima or Dol Jatra falls on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun. For the past thousands of years, devotees believe that Dol Jatra is celebrated to revel in the everlasting bond of love between Lord Krishna and Radha. On this special day, Lord Krishna expressed his love for his beloved Radha. Dol Jatra has an added significance for people living in Bengal, as the day marks the birth anniversary of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. He was a great 16th century Vaishnava saint and poet, who was also regarded as an incarnation of Krishna by some. Besides being a great spiritual leader, he was also the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism. Dol Jatra differs from Holi as it is the last festival of the Bengali Year. Coloured powder is a key part of this festival, and is known as ‘phag’ in Bengal. When will Dol Jatra be celebrated? This year, the festival will be celebrated on 18 March as per the Hindu calendar. How is the day celebrated?  On this auspicious occasion, gulal, water guns and balloons play an important role. Special dishes and drinks such as gujiyas, buttermilk, thandai, dahi vada, ladoos and bhang are synonymous with Dol Jatra. In states like West Bengal and Assam, music and dance take place in households and communities. Everyone dresses up in bright colours of yellow, red and violet to mark and enjoy this festival. When it comes to applying phag on elders, it follows a degree of reverence. For deceased family members, phag is applied to photographs at home, while for senior members of the family, the same is applied on the feet as a mark of respect. History and significance: Dol Jatra, which is also known as the swing festival, speaks of the love and bond between Lord Krishna and Radha. On this sacred day, idols of Lord Krishna and Radha are put on decorated palanquins, which are placed at home or in temples. During the ceremony, women sing songs while men smear coloured powder on the idols. Devotees believe when Radha and her friends were playing, Lord Krishna smeared phag or powdered colours on her face. This is said to be the first time when Krishna expressed his love in the most unique way. Read all the Latest News , Trending News , Cricket News , Bollywood News , India News and Entertainment News here. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.