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Austrian woman says stones mixed in Holi colour were thrown into her eyes in Vrindavan: 'My vision is still blurry'
The Austrian woman claimed that stones mixed with Holi colour were thrown into her eyes during the celebrations, leaving her with blurred vision days later.
Holi, the festival of colours, draws thousands of visitors to Vrindavan every year, especially for its temple celebrations. However, for an Austrian woman celebrating in the temple town, the festivities took a painful turn. She claimed that stones mixed with Holi colour were thrown into her eyes during the celebrations, leaving her with a burning sensation and blurred vision days later.
Taking to Instagram, Britta Schlagbauer shared a video, recounting her experience of celebrating Holi in the temple town. “Holi Experience in Vrindavan. All in one word? Crazy!” she wrote in the caption of the post.
In the video, Schlagbauer described her experience of celebrating Holi in Vrindavan, both “wild and beautiful” - until it took a painful turn. “Celebrate Holi in Vrindavan, but things didn’t go as planned,” she said in the clip.
The woman shared that her day began with excitement, friends, colours and what she called the “crazy Holi energy”. She bought scarves, saw cows covered in colours, and even drank bhang, a traditional drink made from cannabis leaves. “Monkeys were climbing over us. We had amazing food, visited stunning temples. Holi was wild and beautiful. And then it happened,” she said.
However, things quickly changed. “For a moment it wasn’t just fun,” she said. She claimed that every few seconds, people were throwing large amounts of colour. “Unfortunately, someone picked up colour from the ground with stones and threw it straight into my eyes. It burned like hell. I cried it out. I washed it out. But days later, my vision is still blurry,” she shared.
Despite her experience, Schlagbauer called Holi “magical”, but added that, as a woman, especially a foreign woman, the experience is “not always easy”. “Would I do it again? Maybe, but differently. Celebrate Holi, but stay safe,” she concluded.
(Also Read: Man breaks down after family asks him not to return home for Holi celebrations: 'Mai kama raha hoon yaar')
Social media reactions
Schlagbauer's video sparked a discussion online, with several users advising tourists to avoid playing Holi on the streets.
“You should have gone to the secret Vrindavan temple and not walked on the road. There are so many beautiful temples, for example, Shri Radha Raman Ji, Radhavallabh Ji and many more are very beautiful,” one user commented.
Another wrote, “Never, never celebrate Holi in the streets, anywhere in India. It’s always best to celebrate it in a controlled and private environment like in a paid club or hotel.”
“Tourists should always play Holi in private spaces not on streets. It is a bitter truth,” said a third.
Some users also pointed out that people often consume alcohol or bhang during Holi celebrations, which can lead to unruly behaviour.
