Holy- Festival Of Colours

Holi-festival of colours, joy, Love one of the most beautiful celebrations in the world. The festival brings a rainbow of colour splashes in the streets of India. All the people are gathered for an evening. People are chasing each other to splash colours over them and some with coloured water. Faces are splashed with full of colours that couldn’t be identified who they are. They sing, dance and make merry all the day. Brands like Sony and Canon showcase their product services with vibrant colours and candid pictures.

Holi festival is celebrated on March after the full moon day named “Phalguna Purnima” that specifies the end of winter and arrival of spring. The festival starts with Holika’s cremation by lightening bonfires on the night before Holi called “Holika Dahan”.

MYTHOLOGICAL FACT:
Holi was often based on the demon king “Hiranyakashapu”. He believed that he was the ruler of the universe and superior to all the gods. But his son “Prahlad” is beloved devotee of lord Vishnu. So he called his sister “Holika”. Holika has a magical probe that had a power of protecting Holika from flames. So, the demon king asked her sister to sit in flames along with Prahlad by wearing a magical probe. He thought that probe will protect Holika and his son will die in flames. But Prahlad has a saviour lord Vishnu, saved him and Holika was died in flames. Holi was celebrated as a victory of goodness over evil.

The festival comes a day earlier in West Bengal and Orissa. In northern states the festival was celebrated for a week.

Tradition quoted by Hindu is that due to change of seasons, it is easy to get cold and virus by change of water and whether.In ancient days coloured powder was made up of Neem, Turmeric and anti inflammatory materials. Green was made up of Neem leaves, Red colour from Kumkum/Sindoor, Yellow from Turmeric. But today most of the coloured dyes during Holi are synthetic and instead of protecting from diseases it may harm one’s health.

LOVE STORY BEHIND COLOUR SPLASHES:

The tradition of throwing coloured powder and water is believed to originate from the beautiful love story of Radha and Krishna. The Hindu God Krishna was born with dark blue colour skin. It is believed that he has complained to his mother about Radha fair dominating skin. To ease her son’s sorrow, Yashoda suggested Krishna change Radha’s skin colour by smearing her with blue colour paint. By this people assured the custom of smearing loved ones with colours during Holi.

Everyone splash colour on others and spell gulal. Whenever you splash Holi colours on loved ones, you gave a promise to them of being truthful towards them always, maintaining a lifelong relation with them and showering them all the possible love. Child can pour coloured water on elders, men can splash colour powders on women where all the caste, religion, sex are relaxing on that day. Everyone forget all these creed and faith and participate in festival. All people visit family relatives and distribute sweets to them.

Holi is described long ago in 7^th century in a Sanskrit play “Ratnavalli” written by Indian emperor Harsha as

“Witness the beauty of the great cupid festival which excites curiosity as the townsfolk are dancing at the touch of brownish water thrown……Everything is coloured yellowish red and rendered dust by the heaps of scented powder blown all over”