HOLI FESTIVAL

Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in
India. The main day, Holi, also known as Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated by
people throwing colored powder and colored water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before,
also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). The bonfires are lit
in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlada accomplished when Demoness Holika,
sister of Hiranyakashyapa, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch
devotee of god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable devotion. Holi is
celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna
(February/March), (Phalgun Poornima), which usually falls in the later part of February or
March. This year the Holika Dahana will occur on 28th Feb. and Holi on 1st March.
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth), marking the end of
festivities involving colors. In Vaishnava theology, Hiranyakashyapa is the 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 on sky; neither by a man nor an
animal; neither by Astra (hand held weapon) nor by Shastra (projectile weapon). Consequently,
he grew arrogant, and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop
worshipping gods and start praying to him.
Despite this, Hiranyakashyap's own son, Prahlada, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In
spite of several threats from Hiranyakashyap, Prahlada continued offering prayers to Lord
Vishnu. He was poisoned 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 Hiranyakashyaps attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered
young Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of his sister, Holika, who could not die by fire by
virtue of a shawl which would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. Prahlada readily
accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started,
everyone watched in amazement as the shawl flew from Holika, who then was burnt to death,

while Prahlada survived unharmed, after the shawl moved to cover him. The burning of Holika
is celebrated as Holi.
Later Lord Vishnu came in the form of a Narsimha (who is half-man and half-lion) and
killed Hiranyakashyap at dusk (which was neither day nor night), on the steps of the porch of his
house (which was neither inside the house nor outside) by restraining him on his lap (which is
neither in the sky nor on the earth) and mauling him with his claws (which are neither astra nor
shastra).
There is alternate story detailing the origin of Holi. This story is about Kmadeva (cupid),
a god of love. Kma's body was destroyed when he shot his weapon at Shiva in order to disrupt
his penance and help Parvati to marry Shiva. Shiva then opened his third eye, the gaze of which
was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the sake of Kama's wife Rati
(passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image, representing the true emotional and
spiritual state of love rather than physical lust. The Holi bonfire is believed to be celebrated in
commemoration of this event.
Holi is a festival of radiance (Teja) in the universe. During this festival, different waves
of radiance traverse the universe, thereby creating various colors that nourish and complement
the function of respective elements in the atmosphere.
Rituals of Holi
Earliest textual references regarding celebration of Holi, have been found the 7th century
Sanskrit drama, Ratnavali.* Holi has certainly perennial rituals attached to it, the first is
smearing of coloured powder on each other, and throwing water, coloured and scented using
pichkaris, shaped like giant syringes or squirt guns. Though the festival really begins many days
in advance, with 'Holi Milan' (congregation of Holi) or Baithaks(sitting room), musical soirees,
where song related to the festival, and the epic love story of Radha Krishna are sung; specially
type of folk songs, known as Hori are sung as well. Some classical ones like Aaj biraj mein
Holi re rasiya, have been present in the folklore for many generations.

Food preparations also begin many days in advance, with assemblage of Guji, Ppad
and various kinds of snack items including Malpuas, Mathri, Dahibadas, which are served to
Holi guests. The night of Holi, the baithak turn into event of churning bhang (cannabis) to make
intoxicating milk shakes.
Holika Dahan: The Holi bonfire
The main emphasis of the festival is on the
burning of the holy fire or Holika. The origin of
the traditional lighting of Holi is attributed by
some to the burning of demonesses like Holika,
Holaka and Putana who represent evil, or to the
burning of Madan according to others.
Traditionally a bonfire on the day of Holi, marks
the symbolic anhilation of a demoness Holika the sister of demon, Hiranyakashyapa in Hindu
mythology, while trying to kill, a devotee, Bhakta Prahlada.
Dulhendi
Principal ingredients of celebration are Abeer and Gulal, in all possible colors. Next comes
squirting of colored water using Pichkri (color sprinkler). Colored water is prepared using Tesu
flowers, which are first gathered from the trees, dried in the sun, and then ground up, and later
mixed with water to produce orange-yellow colored water. Another traditional Holi item now
rarely seen is a where a red powder enclosed in globes of Lakh, which break instantly and
covering the party with the powder.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Holi
* Ratnvali is a Sanskrit drama about a beautiful princess named Ratnvali, and a great king named
Udayana. It is attribute to the Indian emperor Harsha (606 648 A.D.). It is a drama of four acts. One of
the first textual references to the celebration of holi, the festival of colors have been found in this text.