होली
Happy Holli
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| Holi Celibration |
"Holli"
and "Basanta Utsav" is a popular ancient Hindu festival. Holi is an
ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular with
non-Hindus as well in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other
communities outside Asia.Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and
people of different states might be following different traditions. But, the
spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the
globe, wherever it is celebrated. Holi is popularly known as the Indian "festival of spring",
the "festival of
colours", or the "festival
of love".
The festival also celebrates the beginning of
a good spring harvest season. And celebrates
the end of winter. The Holi festival always falls on Purnima(Full Moon day), in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which
falls around middle of March in the Gregorian calendar.
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| Bonefire(Holika) |
It’s a two-day holiday. Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with
a Holika Dahan or “Choti Holi” on first
evening of the festival people gather, perform religious rituals in
front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the
way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed
in the fire. Ash left from this bonfire is also considered sacred and people
apply it on their foreheads. People believe that the ash protects them from
evil forces.
Great
excitement can be seen in people on the next morning, celebrated as Rangwali Holi. People play with colours with their
friends and families. Water guns and water-filled balloons are
also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and everyone is fair game,
friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children, and elders. Play with
colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Shops
and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get Fun. Groups
carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and
dance. some customary drinks include bhang (made from cannabis)
distributed by some groups, club and community. Bright colours of gulal and
abeer fill the air. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one
another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons.
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| Playing with colours |
The
other story often associated with Holi is the story of Krishna and Radha. As a
baby, Krishna developed his characteristic dark skin colour because the demon Putana poisoned him with her
breast milk, according to Hindu legend. Krishna fell in love with Radha, but
was worried that Radha would not feel the same way because of his skin. Radha
let Krishna apply color to her skin, and they became a couple. And so on Holi, lovers
apply color to each other’s skin.
One
of the most remarkable things about the Indian color
festival is how enthusiastic and care-free it
is. It is purely a day of fun. It is
said the spirit of Holi encourages the feeling of brotherhood in society and
even the enemies turn friend on this day. Attending a Holi festival feels like so much
more than just throwing colors and taking a few pictures. People of all communities and even religions participate
in this colouful festival.
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| Shantiniketan |
BEST PLACES TO
CELEBRATE HOLI IN INDIA
1 Mathura and
Vrindavan, Uttar Pradesh (Traditional Holi)
2 Barsana, Uttar
Pradesh (Holi with sticks)
3 Shantiniketan,
west Bengal (Cultural Holi)
4 Purulia , West
Bengal (Folk Holi)
5 Adandpur
sahib, Punjab (Warrior Holi)
6 Udaipur,
Rajasthan (Royal Holi)
7 Mumbai
(community Holi with slum children)
8 Delhi (Musical
Holi)
