Holi (Hindi:
होली, Nepali: होली)
is a religious spring festival celebrated by Hindus as a
festival of colours.
It is primarily observed in India and Nepal. It is
also observed by the minority Hindus in Bangladesh
and Pakistan
as well in countries with large Indic diaspora
populations following Hinduism, such as Suriname,
Malaysia,
Guyana,
South
Africa, Trinidad and Tobago, the United
Kingdom, the United States, Mauritius,
and Fiji.
Holi is also known as Phagwah
(Assamese: ফাকুৱা),
Festival of Colours, or Doḷajātra (Oriya:
ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା) in Odisha, and
as Dol Jatra (Bengali:
দোলযাত্রা) or Basantotsav
("spring festival") (Bengali:
বসন্তোৎসব) in West
Bengal and Assam.
Holi is of particular significance in the Braj region,
which includes locations traditionally connected to the Lord
Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan,
Nandagaon,
and Barsana,
which become tourist destinations during the season of Holi.
As per the Hindu calendar, Holi is celebrated on
the Phalgun Purnima which comes in February or March in the Gregorian Calendar.
Significance
The word Holi originated from "Holika",
sister of Hiranyakashipu. The festival of Holi is
celebrated because of a story in the old Hindu religion. In Vaishnavism,
Hiranyakashipu
is the great king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma,
which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to his
long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during
day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or in the sky; neither
by a man nor an animal; neither by astra
nor by shastra".
Consequently, he grew arrogant and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He
demanded that people stop worshipping Gods and start
praising respectfully to him.
According to this belief, Hiranyakashipu's own
son, Prahlada,
was a devotee of Vishnu.
In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continued offering
prayers to Vishnu. He was poisoned by Hiranyakashipu, but the poison turned to
nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by elephants yet remained
unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All
of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada
to sit on a pyre
in the lap of Holika, Hiranyakashipu's demoness sister, who also could not die
because she had a boon preventing her from being burned by fire. Prahlada
readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Lord Vishnu to keep him
safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to
death, while Prahlada survived unharmed. The salvation of Prahlada and burning
of Holika is celebrated as Holi.
In Mathura, where Krishna
grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in
commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher
in spring, the celebrated season of love.
Description
Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in
the festival Holi. The festival has many purposes. First and foremost, it
celebrates the beginning of the new season, spring. Originally, it was a
festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe
it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to
winter. It also has a religious purpose, commemorating events present in Hindu
mythology. Although it is the least religious holiday, it is probably one of
the most exhilarating ones in existence. During this event, participants hold a
bonfire, throw colored powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a
Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving
colors.
The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in
Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated
by people throwing scented powder and perfume at each other. Bonfires are lit
on the eve of the festival, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti
Holi (little Holi), after which holika dahan prayers are said and praise is
offered. The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad
accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu,
carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of
god Vishnu,
escaped without any injuries due to his devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to
as Kama Dahanam in South India.
Holi is celebrated at
the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna
(February/March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of
February or March.
In most areas, Holi lasts about two days. Holi
lowers (but does not remove completely) the strictness of social norms, which
includes gaps between age, gender, status, and caste.
Together, the rich and poor, women and men, enjoy each other’s presence on this
day. No one expects polite behavior; as a result, the atmosphere is filled with
excitement, fun and joy.
Though there have been references in Sanskrit
texts to similar festivals, like ratnavali
where people sprayed coloured waters using bamboo syringes, the origin of the
modern Holi festival has been traced to ancient Bengal. It
was a Gaudiya
Vaishnav
festival, in accordance to Vaishnaviya Tantra. People went to Krishna
temples, applied red color to the icon and then distributed the red coloured
powder or Abir
along with malpua
prasad to family and friends. Red signified the colour of passion and Lord
Krishna is the king of desires. The ritual signified that all our desires
should be diverted for the attainment of Krishna
and for the well being of society.
In some cultures though, the ritual of burning
wood and leaves on the full moon night already existed. This ritual was to
signify the end of winter and full advent of spring.
Old wood and leaves that had fallen were burnt to signify that it was time for
new leaves and flowers. People then smeared their bodies with ash. Later,
however, the story of Holika Dahan became associated with this ritual.
Rituals
The earliest textual
reference to the celebration of Holi is found in the 7th century Sanskrit drama,
Ratnavali.
Certainly there are perennial rituals attached to Holi: the first is smearing
of coloured powder on each other, and throwing coloured and scented water at
each time. On the first day of this festival, Hindus participate in a public
bonfire. Prior to the event, men prepare for this by collecting extra wood. The
fire itself is lit near midnight, as the moon rises. The main custom of Holi is
the use of the colored powders and water on others. This is why Holi is given
the name “Festival of Colors.”
Regional rituals and celebrations
Holi is celebrated with much fervor here. Unlike in
the other Indian communities, it is also here a school holiday. There is also a
tradition followed in rural Karnataka where children collect money and wood for
weeks prior to Holi, and on Kamadhana night all the wood is put together and
lit. The festival is celebrated for two days. People in north Karnataka prepare
special food on this day.
Holi festival is celebrated in Sirsi town with a unique folk dance
which has a legend of 300 years. The folk dance called “Bedara Vesha” (Hunters Dance) is performed during the nights
beginning five days before the festival day. The festival is celebrated every
alternate year in the town which attracts a large crowd on all the five days
from different parts of the State.Nearly 50 solo artistes perform the dance
with a troupe of drum beaters, whistle blowers and the like.
In Maharashtra, Holi is mainly associated with the
burning of Holika. Holi Paurnima is also celebrated as Shimga. A week before the
festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On
the day of Holi, the firewood is arranged in a huge pile at a clearing in the
locality. In the evening, the fire is lit. Every household makes an offering of
a meal and dessert to the fire god. Puran Poli is the main delicacy and
children shout "Holi re Holi puranachi poli". Shimga is associated
with the elimination of all evil. The colour celebrations here traditionally
take place on the day of Rangapanchami, 5 days after Holi, unlike in North
India where it is done on the second day itself. During this festival,
people are supposed to forget about any rivalries and start new healthy
relations with all.
In the Mattancherry area of Kochi, there are 22
different communities living together in harmony. The Gaud Sarawat Brahmins
(GSB) who speak Konkani also celebrate Holi in Cherlai area of West Kochi
instead of in theior own community. It is locally called Ukkuli in Konkani or
Manjal Kuli in Malayalam. It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called
Gosripuram Thirumala temple. Holi is also celebrated at some colleges in south.
Holi is celebrated with fun and frolic in Andhra
Pradesh. Different in the other Indian communities, The school holidays are
here. There is also a tradition followed in rural Telangana region where children
play kamuda and collect money, Rice, Mokkajonna and wood for weeks prior to
Holi, and on Kamadhana night all the wood is put together and set on fire. The
festival is celebrated for two days. In Andhra Pradesh Holi is celebrated along
with Basnata Panchami. In the Telangana region and the capital city of
Hyderabad, Holi is a major festival, and the festivities and colour starts
appearing at least a day before the actual holiday.
Traditional Holi
The spring season,
during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold.
The playful throwing of natural coloured powders has a medicinal significance:
the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other
medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors.
Modern issues
Synthetic colors
Natural colors were
used in the past to play safe Holi by applying turmeric, sandalwood
paste, extracts of flowers and leaves. As the spring-blossoming trees that once
supplied the colors used to celebrate Holi have become more rare, chemically
produced industrial dyes have been used to take their place in almost all of
urban India. Due to the commercial availability of various attractive color
pigments, slowly the natural colors are replaced by synthetic colors. As a
result it has caused, mild to severe symptoms of skin irritation and
inflammation.
Courtesy: Wikipedia
Categories:
Festivals