THANDAI: HOLI'S COOLEST TRADITION

Rooted in mythology and Ayurveda yet constantly reinvented, thandai remains the festive drink that bridges faith, flavour and the changing seasons

- Ruchika Garg and Deep Saxena

Holi may burst into colour, but it begins quietly — in the grinding of soaked almonds, the scent of fennel and cardamom, the saffron swirling into chilled milk. Before the first splash of gulal, there is the first sip of thandai. Across India, gujiya and thandai are festive essentials. Yet this cooling, nut-rich drink is more than refreshment. It marks the shift from winter to summer and carries mythology and memory in every glass. Believed to have originated in Varanasi, the city of Lord Shiva, thandai is tied to the legend of Maha Shivratri, when Shiva was offered a cooling drink after his wedding to Goddess Parvati. Since then, it has remained inseparable from Shivratri and Holi, symbolising renewal as temperatures rise.

VARANASI