In India, Holi is celebrated with great pomp and show. This festival is a celebration of the conquest of goodness over wickedness. Being a carnival of myriad of colors, Holi enriches brotherhood in the society.
On either side of the roads, when one can spot kiosks with humungous large tables alive with heaps of colored powders called gulal, when the young ones squirt water at the passers-by through their water squirting pumps and hurl water filled balloons, when the Indian sweet shops get thick with a variety of delicious sweet meats, you know it is time for Holi in India. The celebration of Holi begins weeks before the final day, which falls on the full moon day of Phalguna.
To celebrate Holi is… to Play Holi… this festival is especially famous among the young children who gear up for Holi, months before the final day. The month of Phalguna can occur anywhere in the period of last week of February and 1st week of March. In the earlier days, natural colors were used to play Holi that were extracted from flowers, which bloom during the season, but in this day and age, artificial colors are used to play Holi.
A day before the Holi festivity, a bon fire is made. This is a ritual in India. Legends have it that, the bonfire represents the burning moment of Holika that also epitomizes the defeat of evil. According to myths, Holika was the sister of the evil king Hiranyakashipu. When Hiranyakashipu failed to make his son surrender his fondness and devotion towards Lord Narayana, he asked Holika to sit with Prahalad in the bonfire. Since Holika was blessed with a boon that she would remain unharmed in the blazing fire, she acted upon her brother’s request. But as the Almighty would have it, Prahalad came out unhurt and on the contrary, Holika ended in ashes.
Although Holi is celebrated all over India but celebrations in Mathura and Banaras are celebrated with great enthusiasm that extends for about a week. Here, each temple hosts its own jamboree in its unique way.
In the spirit of Holi festivity, everyone smears gulal on each other. Played joyfully by people of all ages and all religion, this ‘festival of colors’ ignites the feeling of oneness among all. Particularly, impressing the foreign tourists, Holi has earned a global recognition over the years. |
