Holi, also known as the festival of colors ,love and unity and is one of the widely recognized festival of India and other parts of world. it is the joyful occasion marked by vibrant colors, delicious food and sense of togetherness among people of all ages and background.
The Holi festival signifies the end of winter and the arrival of spring season in India. it is celebrated for almost 2 days , typically in late February or early March, with Holi falling on the full moon day.
The First day is known as Holika Dahan or Chhoti Holi involves lighting a bornfire, the bornfire is made with the old wooden articles at home such as old furniture, brooms, discarded pieces of cloth etc. They symbolize the victory of good over evil or bad , the arrival of spring and a good spring harvest to come.
The second day is known as rang vali Holi or Dhulandi, which is played among peoples with vibrant colors , water, guns, baloons etc.
The History of Holi
The origin of Holi dates back to the Hindu religious literature. The word Holi is derived from the sanskrit word HOLIKA, which refers to the evil sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu in Hindu mythology.
The story of Holika’s death is celebrated on the eve of the Holi festival in a ritual called Holika Dahan, where people light bonfires to symbolize the victory of good over evil. The next day , people celebrate Holi by throwing colors and water on each other , dancing and enjoying the festival. The festival signifies the triumph of good over evil, spring’s arrival and winter’s end.
Holi has 3 main inspirations for its celebrations, which include spring’s arrival , the story of Krishna and Radha , and the story of Holika and Prahalad. These provide themes of postive change and renewal, love and compassion and the triumph of good over evil to Holi festival.
The elements of love and compassion are present in Holi celebrations in honor of the story of Krishna and Radha . Krishna’s who was an incarnation of Hindu God Lord Vishnu, enjoyed showing his care for others through friendly teasing and one day, he threw colors on his friend Radha in a playful expression of his love and soon everyone enjoyed the colorful . The story serves as a reminder that everyone is equal and such regardless of any physical differences.
The legend of Holika and Prahalad relays the message of prevailing power of good over evilin the survival of prince Prahalad. Prahalad’s Father , the evil king Hiranyakashipu, demanded that his kindom worship him instead of God, but Prahalad’s evolution to Hindu God Lord Vishnu did not wavier. Frustated with his son, the king asked his demonic sister Holika who was impervious to fire for help burning Prahalad in a fire pit. Prahalad , fully surrended to Vishnu, fearlessly entered the fire and protected by Vishnu who was reversed by Holika’s power so that she burned instead . This story encourages those celebrating Holi to be humble , kind and tolerant throughout negative situations which are apart of life.
THE SIGNIFICANCE
Today, Holi is celebrated by people of all religions and cultures in India. It is fast catching up in other parts of the world, especially where the Indian diaspora has settled .
It’s a time when people come together to celebrate the spirit of love and brotherhood while keeping aside the differences. The festival is also an ocassion for forgiveness and letting go all the grudges, as people smear each other with colors and embrace each other in a spirit of camaraderie. Overall there is a buzz of joy and excitement in the air. Holi color signifies the special emotions
- RED: Purity
- ORANGE: Endurance
- PURPLE: Magic
- BLUE: Calmness
- GREEN: Vitality
- YELLOW: Happiness
- PINK: Love
THE MODERN HOLI-CELEBRATION OF TOGETHERNESS
Preparations for Holi usually begins a few days in advance , with people buying colors , water guns, baloons , sweets etc. On the festival day, people dress up in white clothes and gather at events, in public spaces such as parks, clubs, water park etc. to celebrate the festival of colors. Holi is the festival of traditional sweets such as Gujiya , thandai etc.
HAVE YOU EVER PLAYED HOLI?
Holi is the festival of vibrant colors that celebrates the spirit of love , unity and togetherness. It is an occasion to forget ones’s differences and come together in spirit of camraraderie, forgiveness and joy. As we celebrate this festival , let us remeber to respect the environment and celebrate in a sustainable and eco- friendly way.
HAPPY HOLI!❤️🩷🧡💛💚💙🩵💜