Today Special : Holi
Holi, the festival of colors, is celebrated on March 18 and acquires a renowned spot in ancient Hindu festivals. The excitement of having vibrant colors scattered in the air is delightful. The two-day festival is a pleasant way of welcoming spring. All people, regardless of their age, take part in this event with enthusiasm and vigor. So let’s just grab our ‘gulal’ (colored powder thrown at each other as a symbol of joy and love) and celebrate the victory of good over evil.
HISTORY OF HOLI
The name of this event comes from an intriguing tale of a vicious king and his determined son. Back in ancient times, it all started with the invincible evil king, Hiranyakashipu, who became arrogant and wanted to be worshiped by every person in the kingdom. However, his son Prahlad denied him and continued worshipping Lord Vishnu. This caused an immense wave of rage in the evil king, the consequences of which were suffered by Prahlad in the form of brutal punishments.
Despite all this, the strong belief of Prahlad enabled him to get through this cruelty and he kept praising Vishnu. Seeing his own defeat, Hiranyakashipu couldn’t control his anger and asked his sister Holika to sit on a pyre with Prahlad in her lap. Holika was known to be immune to fire but she didn’t know that it only worked if she entered the fire alone. Consequently, Holika was burnt to death, and Lord Vishnu saved Prahlad. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi. Because of the defeat of the evil king, Holi is also called ‘Victory of Good Over Evil.’
Another story linked with throwing colored powders on each other is the love story of Krishna and Radha. Krishna was poisoned as a baby by some demoness and turned a blue color. He fell in love with Radha and was worried that Radha would reject him because of his skin color. Krishna’s mother suggested that he playfully color Radha’s face with some colors. He did so, and Radha fell in love with him.
HOW TO CELEBRATE HOLI
- Light up a fire : Have a Holika bonfire set up and gather people around to perform religious rituals. Most of them include praying to God to demolish evil and asking for forgiveness from God.
- Spreading colors : Let your inner child come out by playing with wet and dry colors. Strengthen your bond with others and engage in a cheerful fight with them by throwing colors and water balloons at them.
- Festive meals : Arrange a feast that comprises different meals including sweets, drinks, etc. One of the most popular drinks of this festival is ‘bhang,’ which is made from cannabis leaves and largely consumed during the festival.
5 INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT HOLI
- It brings about unity : People, regardless of their age, caste, or color throw colors at each other.
- Avoiding responsibility for pranks : A popular saying during the throwing of colors is “Bura na mano, Holi hai!,” which means “Do not mind, it’s Holi.”
- Moisturizing skin : Before Holi, people moisturize the skin to be able to remove the ‘gulal’ (colored powder) easily afterwards.
- Shower of colors : In the era of the Mughal emperor Shah Jahan, Holi was called ‘Aab-e-Pashi,’ which means shower of colors.
- Spanish festival : La Tomatina is a Spanish festival similar to Holi but the difference is they throw tomatoes instead of colors.
WHY WE LOVE HOLI
- It welcomes spring : The Festival of Holi is celebrated to pay a tribute to the arrival of spring. The vibrancy of the festival indicates the transition from dry, gloomy winter to bright, vivid spring.
- It commemorates love, passion, and unity : People of all castes, colors, and ages gather together for the celebration of good over evil. Their bonding with each other strengthens them, thus bringing about love and oneness.
- It includes yummy food : Celebrations of Holi include delicious foods to tempt your taste buds. ‘Gujiya,’ a delicate sweet made with milk solids, nuts, and a pinch of love (which increases sweetness) is a popular food of Holi, along with the traditional drink ‘bhang.’
