‘Bangalore doesn’t know how to celebrate’: X post on quiet Holi sparks heated debate

Holi usually brings images of colourful streets, groups of friends playing with gulal, and children running around with water balloons. In many cities, the festival easily spills out onto the roads and public spaces. But a recent post on X has started a fresh conversation about how Holi looks very different in some places, especially in Bengaluru.A social media user’s observation about the city feeling quiet on Holi afternoon quickly caught the attention of many online. What began as a simple comment soon turned into a wider discussion about local traditions, migration, and how festivals are celebrated differently across regions in India.The discussion began after an X user named Vanshita shared her experience of stepping out during Holi. She wrote that she expected to see more visible celebrations on the streets.“Bangalore doesn’t know how to celebrate festivals,” she wrote. “I stepped out now at 1 pm and don’t see a single person in Holi rang? No kids throwing balloons? Not even colours by the roadside. Why is this city so boring?” she added. The post quickly gained traction on social media. It received thousands of reactions and gained lakhs of views as users started responding with their own perspectives.Many people who responded to the post said the quieter streets are not unusual for the city. According to some users, Holi has historically not been widely celebrated in public spaces in the region.One user explained their experience growing up in the city.“It has nothing to do with the city being boring. Holi was never a festival of colours for us locals. I did not see colours other than in 1 or 2 houses until my college days (i.e., the late 1990s) – that is, when we had more people who celebrated it entering the city. If you come to my part of Bangalore... today just looks like any other day!”Another user also pointed out that different regions in India have different traditions.“With all due respect, Holi was never a thing for us South Indians. It's like asking, "Why does North India never celebrate Varamahalakshmi Vrutha?”Some comments in the discussion mentioned that festival celebrations in the city have slowly changed as people from different parts of the country moved to Bengaluru.“Holi traditionally wasn’t a big festival in South India. Most of the celebrations you see now are because North Indians brought the colours with them. Slowly, the city is learning to celebrate together,” a comment read.Several users also shared that Holi in the city is often celebrated inside residential communities instead of public streets.One user wrote, “Mostly because people leave for home during Holi/Diwali. Major festivals are well celebrated inside the apartment complex. Holi in the South/West/East is celebrated 1 day before North India, so it was yesterday when the majority of them celebrated it.”Others shared their own experiences from different parts of the city.“We live in Bangalore; our apartment was rocking in colours, and kids were having a great time. While returning from work, many were seen with rang on Brigade Road...so it's there.”Some users even invited the original poster to join their celebrations.“Agreed! You are always welcome to our terrace in Indiranagar. We had an amazing celebration today with full ‘Holi’ vibes,” one comment said.As the conversation grew, some users also reflected on how festival celebrations across the country have changed over time.One user highlighted how expectations about festivals can vary depending on where people come from.“Expecting Bangalore to look like North India during Holi is like expecting Diwali in Delhi to look like Onam in Kerala. Different regions celebrate different festivals. That doesn’t make the city boring. It just means it has its own culture,” the user wrote.Disclaimer: This article is based on posts and reactions shared on social media. The Times of India has not independently verified the statements mentioned in the online discussions and does not necessarily endorse them or reflect its views.Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)