Ashok Ghosh and his wife will play Holi this year in Vrindavan where, according to legend, the festival of colours has its roots.

“The celebrations in Vrindavan are world famous. Since I’m getting off for three days, I have decided to go there with my wife,” said the professor-in-charge of the department of environment and water management of AN College.

Holi falls on Thursday but in Vrindavan — in the Mathura district of Uttar Pradesh — Holi is celebrated for over a week and has already begun.

According to myth, the carnivalesque festivities began with Krishna smearing his beloved Radha with colours. Following the tradition, men and women of Nandgaon and Barsana villages, not too far from Vrindavan, play Lathmar Holi.

The women of Nandgaon, the home of Krishna, beat the men from Barsana, the legendary domicile of Radha, with wooden sticks in response to their teasing.

Besides going to the cities of the Braj region, many are seeking a quick getaway to the sun and the sand, claim tour and travel operators.

“Around 150 people have booked tickets for Port Blair (the administrative headquarters of Andaman and Nicobar Islands). Many others are also going to Kerala or Goa,” said Shailesh Kumar, the chief executive of Nalanda Travels.

Tour packages are usually for three to seven days. Most of the schools are closed at present because the academic sessions and the year-end exams have just concluded. Many offices are also shut for three days starting Wednesday.

“I have two days off from office. I have taken leave for two more days. So, I shall take a flight tomorrow (Wednesday) and have fun in Goa for the next three days,” said Indraneel Biswas, who works at a private company in New Delhi. He returned to his home at SK Nagar for Holi.

While those who have planned early would have a refreshing vacation, those who left bookings till the last minute might be in for a little disappointment. “As there is a heavy rush, tickets on flights to Mumbai and Delhi are unavailable. Few rooms are free at hotels in Goa,” said Naresh Arora, partner of Sewak Tour and Travels.

If you don’t get a ticket to the hotspots, you could try your luck at the hill stations. Darjeeling, Shimla, Dharamshala and Manali are also popular.

“We have quite a few bookings from people going to Himachal Pradesh,” said Raman Jha, the manager of Super Travels.

Those who are a little more adventurous are venturing out of the international borders of India.

“I have not been on a vacation with my family for long. So, I am using the Holi vacation to go on a holiday with my wife. We shall leave for Kathmandu tomorrow,” said Saurav Kumar, a resident of Exhibition Road.

Those who do not have the time to travel far and wide could avail of the vacation packages of Bihar State Tourism Development Corporation to Bodhgaya, Nalanda, Rajgir or Valmiki Tiger Reserve.