Holi : A colourful and electrifying Hindu Festival
Holi is an important festival in India, also known as the "festival of love” or the "festival of colours". The most boisterous of Indian festivals, Holi waves goodbye to winter and welcomes in spring in a colourful zeal. Water balloons and pichkaris, brightly coloured paint and colour powders (gulal), water guns and sprinklers; the perfect way to usher in Holi, the cheerful festival of colours. Like various other festivals in India, Holi also indicates a victory of good over evil.
The enthusiasm of the people reaches its peak, geysers of colours shoot in the air, the atmosphere filled with joy and smile and people immersing themselves in complete fun (masti and mazza). Various colours are thrown on each other, amidst loud music, drums, etc. to celebrate the pious Holi festival. Known worldwide, it is celebrated on the full moon day, which is falling in the month of Phalguna (Feb-Mar) and celebration takes place over two days.
Holi -An ancient celebration
The origins of Holi festival are little known, but references to it have dated back to around the Third century BC. Holi is mentioned in prehistoric religious books like, Kathaka-Grhya-Sutra and Jaimini’s Purvamimamsa-Sutras. Even the temples of ancient India have sculptures or figures of this colourful festival on walls. One of this is a temple from the
Sixteenth century in Hampi, the capital of Vijayanagar. The temple has various scenes from Holi sculpted on its walls showing princes & princesses along with their maids holding colourful pichkaris to squirt water on royals.
Mentions of it can be dated back to 4th century poetry, and it was described in a Seventh century play named Ratnaval:
"Witness the beauty and elegance of the great cupid festival, which electrifies curiosity as the townsfolk are dancing at the touch of brownish water thrown from squirt-guns. They are seized by beautiful women while all along the roads the atmosphere is filled with drum-beating and singing. Everything is coloured yellowish red & rendered dusty by the heaps of fragrant powder blown all over."
There are several places to witness huge Holi celebrations. In Udaipur, the royal family hosts an elegant function at the City Palace, while the Uttar Pradesh towns of Vridavan, Mathura, Nandgaon and Barsana are linked with the birth as well as childhood of Shri Krishna, giving them special Holi significance. In the country of Nepal, the festival is also known as Fagu and is a muted mix of Thailand’s Songkran and India’s Holi.
The Legends of Holika
• Prahlad- The son of demon king
Holi Festival is also associated with the Old (Puranic) story of Holika, the sister of demon-king Hiranyakashipu. The demon-king, Hiranyakashipu punished his son, Prahlad in several ways to denounce Lord Narayana. He actually failed in all his attempts. Finally, the demon-king asked his sister Holika to take his son Prahlad in her lap and enter a blazing fire. As Holika had a boon to remain unburned even in the fire, she did her brother's bidding. But, Holika's boon ended by this act of supreme sin against the Vishnu’s devotee and was burnt to ashes. However, Prahlad came out unharmed.
The Krishna Connection
Holi Festival is also associated with the Divine Dance called as Raaslila staged by Shri Krishna for the benefit of his devotees of Vrindavan generally referred as Gopis.
Holi- A festive mood and thrilling celebration
The first day is known as Chhoti Holi or Holika Dahan (हॊलिका दहन) and the second as Dhulivandan, Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi or Dhuleti. The celebrations of Holi start on the night before Holi with a Holika dahan (bonfire) where people gather, do religious ceremonies in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil should be destroyed as the bonfire (Holika Dahan) starts. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi - a free-for-all celebration of colours, where participants play, chase & colour each other with dry powder & coloured water. People visit family, friends and foes to spark the festive moods, throw coloured powders on each other, fun and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, dishes, food and drinks. In the evening, people dress up well and enjoy the carnival with friends and family.
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