Holi, the ever-popular festival of colours, is celebrated with grand fervour across India and the Indian diaspora every year. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil. The festival is primarily celebrated over 2 days beginning with the day of Phalguna Poornima which is during the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar. Holi marks the end of winter and start of spring.
Holi celebrations start on the night of Phalguna Poornima also known as Holika Dahan with the burning of a bonfire which is an effigy of Holika, sister of Hiranyakasupu. Rituals take place in front of Holika. People throw cow-dung at the bonfire. At the end of the rituals, they circumambulate the bonfire.
Legend has it that the Rakshasa king by the name of Hiranyakasupu had caused a lot of terror among the beings of the earth as he had the boon that he would be the ruler of the earth. He was so egoistic that he ordered all beings of the earth to worship him and him only. He had a son named Prahlad who was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. Prahlad used to always chant Lord Vishnu’s name. This irked Hiranyakasupu as he felt that he was the supreme. Hiranyakasupu had a sister named Holika who had a boon that even if she entered fire, she would come out unscathed. Prahlad used to disabuse him of these notions saying that only Lord Vishnu was the supreme. Hiranyakasupu then asked his sister Holika to kill Prahlad by burning him which she did by tricking Prahlad into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika had been granted a boon wherein if she entered the pyre, she would not get burnt. There was a catch however in that, she had to enter the pyre on her own and not with anybody else. As the fire roared, Prahlad came out unscathed but Holika was burnt. Prahlad was saved because he kept chanting Lord Vishnu’s name.
Another legend associated with the festival is that of Lord Krishna — another avatar of Lord Vishnu — and his consort Radha. In the Braj region of India — where Krishna is believed to have grown up — the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi, in commemoration of the divine love between Radha and Krishna. While Krishna, a dark-skinned lad once playfully complained to his mother about his complexion, she told him that Radha would like him as he is, and that he can even ask her to paint his face and hers in any colour of her choice. While Radha agreed to this, the colour that was on her face, reflected on his and vice-versa. Thus, this was the occasion wherein RadhaKrishna became one, and came to be understood as a part of one another.
On the second day of Holi, People play with colored powder called ‘Gulal’. They wear white clothes and spray colored water and colour powders on their friends and relatives. People also fill balloons with water and color in order to throw on each other. ‘Gujia’ is a sweet that is prepared and consumed on the day of Holi. Another staple is Thandai which is prepared with creamy milk flavored with nuts and spices. Holi is a day when people forgive mistakes of the past and start anew. On the pious occasion, it is said that love blossoms when people smear colours on each other and mend broken relationships.
Let the joy of colours fill your life with happiness and prosperity this year and beyond.