Holi is known as festival of colors and love. It is a spring festival or ‘Basant Utsav’ as it marks the start of spring- a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours, and also the beginning of New Year to many Hindus.
On this day, people rub ‘gulal’ and ‘abeer’ on each others’ faces, hug and wish each other saying ‘Happy Holi’.
It is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land.
It is celebrated at the end of the winter season(saying farewell to winter) on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February/March) i.e. Phalgun Purnima, which usually comes in March or late February.
Once there was mighty demon king named ‘Hiranyakashyap’ who resents his son Prahlada worshipping Lord Vishnu. He tries to kill his son but fails every time. Finally, his evil sister Holika who had boon to walk into fire unharmedsits with the Prahlada in a huge fire. However, the prince Prahlada survived, and his aunt burns to death.
Thus Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve as a symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, of fire that burned Holika.
Holi also celebrates the legend of immortal love of Radha and Krishna. Once Krishna asked his mother Yashoda the reason why Radha is fair and he is dark. Then she advised him to apply color to Radha face to see how her complexion would change. So, the young and naughty Krishna played a prank by throwing colors at Radha and gopis. Thus, began the festival of colors, Holi.
The night before Holi, bonfires are lit, known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, orDhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated when peoples rub Gulal and Abeer(colours) on each other’s face. Childrens carry pichkaris(water guns) and coloured water-filled balloons for their water fight.
Some peoples specially the youth play or move about in a cheerful and lively way with colours in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings.The streets fill with people running, shouting, giggling and splashing they sing and dance on the rythm of drum and other musical instruments, others just goes to the place of family and friends, first play with colours on each other, enjoy, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks.
The mouth watering holi specialities are gujiya, malpuas, mathri, puran poli, dahi badas etc. and special Drinks are thandai and bhang.
It is a national holiday in India.
Mathura, in the Braj region, is the birthplace of Lord Krishna, and in Vrindavan this day is celebrated with special puja and the traditional custom of worshipping Lord Krishna, here the festival lasts for sixteen days and celebrated with special joy and zest.
Barsana, a town near Mathura, celebrates Lath mar Holi in the compound of the Radha Rani temple. Here, women of Barsana chase men of Nandgaonaway with sticks as they come to play Holi with them.
In rural Maharashtra, the festival is known as Rangapanchami and is celebrated with dancing and singing.
In south India, people celebrate Holi by worshiping Kaamadeva, the God of Love in Indian mythology. The legend depicts the great sacrifice of Kaamadeva. Once he shot his love arrow into Lord Shiva’s heartto break his meditation and raise his interest in worldly affairs. Shiva opened his third eye in anger which launched fire and destroyed Kamadeva. Later, Lord Shiva realizes his mistake and blessed Kamadeva with a new life and immortality in invisible form. Thus people worship Kamadev for his sacrifice on the day of Holi.
In Western India, Ahmedabad in Gujarat, a pot of full of buttermilk is hung high on the streets and young boys makes human pyramids to break it and the girls throws coloured water on them to stop them and this way the celebrates the pranks of Krishna and gwalas (cowherd boys) to steal butter and while“gopis” while trying to stop them.
In Bengal, Holi is known as“Dol Jatra”, “Dol Purnima” or the “Swing Festival”.
We should stop using synthetic colours which causes mild to severe symptoms of skin irritation and inflammation. Instead we should use natural colours made like turmeric, sandalwood paste, extracts of flowers and leaves for example flowers of tesu and palash, henna (mehandi) leaves. They have a special fragrance of love in them.
Thus on this day, colours fill the atmosphere as people throw abeer and gulal in the air showing great joy,A festive day to meet others, play and laugh, sing and dance, forget and forgive,end conflicts and repair ruptured relationships.