Indian Festival Holi

Introduction

India is a country of festivals that is why every day is celebrated as a festival here. Holi festival of India is world famous. Holi festival is the second largest festival celebrated in Hinduism. This festival is also known as Rango festival. Holi festival is famous in India as well as in many countries like Nepal, Bangladesh, USA, Australia, Canada. People of all classes celebrate this festival. Presently, people who follow other religions have started celebrating this festival with great pomp. Nature is also involved in this festival in a way. By spreading colorful flowers around, spring brings happiness.

It is a festival to share happiness, on this day everybody embraces each other and celebrates this festival happily. There is such power in this festival that even years old enmity turns into friendship on this day. That is why Holi is also called a festival of harmony. It is believed that the festival of Holi has been celebrated for thousands of years. The festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbol of the victory of good over evil, as well as a symbol of fun. No matter how many people have given Holi, Holi of childhood or euphoria of old age is always the same. A famous song is always remembered on this, ‘On the day of Holi, hearts blossom, colors get mixed in colors.’
 

When and how is holi celebrated ?

The festival of Holi is celebrated every year in the month of March. According to Hindu calendar, it is customary to celebrate this festival in the month of Falgun. This festival is mainly of two days. Holi Dahan is done on the first day, in which Holika Dahan is done by adding sticks and cow dung cakes.

The second day of Holi is called Dhulandi. In which all people apply colors to each other. On this day people in India do not see any caste. Everyone embraces each other and celebrates Holi with great pomp.

History of Holi!

Holi festival is also mentioned in old texts. This also gives us a sense of the importance and antiquity of the festival of Holi. There is a very famous legend behind celebrating this festival.

According to the old story there used to be a very big demon named Hiranyakashyap. Who pleased Lord Brahma by doing austerities for years, after which Hiranyakashyap, as a boon of Brahma Ji, could not be killed by day nor by night, neither by God nor by any animal, nor by any weapon. .

Hiranyakashipu considered Lord Vishnu as his biggest enemy, so he used to ask his subjects not to worship Lord Vishnu. He began to treat his subjects brutally. Some people started worshiping him in fear.

With the passage of time, a son was born to Hiranyakashyap, who was named Prahlad. Prahlada was a devotee of Lord Vishnu since childhood. Prahlad did not consider Hiranyakashyap as a god. Even after explaining a lot, he did not understand, so Hiranyakashipu took many measures to kill him, but he did not die. Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika had a boon that she could not burn in any kind of fire, so she supported her brother and took Prahlada and sat in the ignited fire.

Prahlada got nervous after seeing this and started worshiping Lord Vishnu. Lord Vishnu had such a blessing, Prahlada did not even get a scratch and Holika was burnt to ashes. After this, the festival of Holi started being celebrated.

Preparations for celebrating Holi!

‘Holika Dahan’ takes place just one day before Holi. In which we collect condes made of wood, grass and cow dung. Holi is worshiped by women during the evening, water is offered from the lotus. After this, Holika is burnt to see the auspicious time, as soon as the flames start rising, the wood symbolizing Prahlada is removed and it is shown that good always triumphs over evil. During Holika Dahan, everyone walks around it and wishes for his good health and fame, as well as consumes all evil in it.

The festival of colors is celebrated on the next day of ‘Holika Dahan’. On this day, children color each other and take everyone’s greetings and congratulate everyone. Then the children and the elders start playing with all the neighbors and loved ones with squeaky and colorful balloons. On this day, people go to each other’s house and apply color gulal as well as enjoy fun dishes.
 

Importance of Holi festival!

Holi’s historical significance

On the day of Holi, good was won over evil, so people get education from this festival that no matter how big the evil is, good always wins, so they always follow the good path.

Holi’s social importance

Holi is a cordial festival. In which people forget the age-old enmity, fight, quarrel and embrace each other, that’s why this festival is also called a symbol of friendship. On this day, no one sees anything high in society. All people embrace each other and celebrate the festival of Holi. It reduces the high-pitched gap in the society, so this festival also has social significance.

Various Famous Holies of India

Barsana’s Lathmar Holi

The first thing is about the Holi of Braj, here is also the most famous – Lathmar Holi of Barsana. Barsana is the birthplace of Radha. On this day, the Lattha remains in the hands of the women and the men (gopas) of Nandgaon who try to hoist the flag on the ‘Ladliji’ temple of Radha have to avoid the Latta of the women. Hori is also sung during this, which is based on the conversation between Shri Krishna and Radha.

Phagua Holi in Bihar

Holi festival is celebrated in Bihar for three days. On the first day, there is Holika Dahan in the night, which is also known as Samvatsar Dahan and people dance around this fire. The next day, Holi is played with ashes from it, which is called Dhulethi and the third day is of colors. Groups of women and men dance from house to house on the dole of the dole. Fagun means red color, hence it is also called Phagua Holi.

Dhulandi Holi of Haryana

In Haryana, India, People celebrate Holi as Dhulendi and play dry Holi with Gulal and Abir. Bhabhis have complete freedom on this day to punish their brothers-in-law for their naughtiness throughout the year. Bhabhis torture their brothers-in-laws in various ways and the poor brothers suffer silently because this day is the day of the Bhabhis. In the evening the brother-in-law brings a gift for his sister-in-law and the sister-in-law blesses him.

Dol Purnima in Bengal

The example of West Bengal is given as beauty. Holi is also celebrated very beautifully here. On this day people wear Basanti colored clothes and adorn themselves with flowers. The dance and music program runs from the morning itself. Sweet dishes are made in homes. This festival is also known as ‘Dol Jatra’. On this occasion, the deities of Radha-Krishna are installed in the swing wheel and the women swing it in turn.

Rangpanchami in Maharashtra

For the fishermen’s colony in Maharashtra, this festival means dancing and singing. Because all the fishermen go to meet each other on this festival and a lot of time is spent in fun. A delicious sweet dish called Puranpoli is made in Maharashtra.

Hola Mohalla Fair in Punjab

This festival is also very popular in Punjab. The fair that takes place next day of Holi in Anandpur Sahib, the holy place of Sikhs, is called Hola Mohalla. The three-day-long fair showcases weapons of Sikh bravery and acts of valor.

Tamasha Holi in Rajasthan

There is a tradition of tamasha on the occasion of Holi in Rajasthan. In this, the actors come to the stage in the style of a street play and perform their traditional skills with dance and acting. The theme of the pageant revolves around mythological stories and characters and also satirizes the social and political system through these characters.

Bhagoria Holi of Madhya Pradesh

Holi is special for the Bhil tribals living in Madhya Pradesh. This ‘Bhil Holi’ is called Bhagoria. Adults are allowed to choose their favorite spouse on this day. The way the Bhils celebrate Holi is unique. On this day, they worship mango leaves, tessu flowers and wheat leafs and pray for the beginning of a new life.

Holi in Gujarat

On the occasion of Holi, groups of cool young men dance and sing on the streets of Gujarat. Curd peas are planted in the streets at high altitudes and the youth are motivated to reach here. It is inspired by the breaking of the pot of Lord Krishna’s gopis. In such a situation, who would not want to become a young Kanhaiya and who would not want to become Radha.

Holi of Manipur

Holi lasts for a full 6 days in Manipur, called Yaoshang. Here at the beginning of Holi a hut of a weed is made and they set fire to it. The next day the boys play Holi with the girls, in return they have to give the girl a gift.

Festivals resembling Holi across the globe

Wanaka Festival of New Zealand

The colorful festivals are celebrated every year in different cities of New Zealand. On this day, children, old and young people of the city gather in a park. All painting on their bodies or the bodies of others. During this, they also have a lot of fun among themselves. While it is a day for children to celebrate the joy, old people encourage others to join the festival with great joy. The festival is celebrated for a full 6 days.

Songkran festival of Thailand

Songkran is the festival of Thai New Year. There is a lot of fun in it. During the festival, all people gather near a pond and throw water at each other. Two to four people let a person jump into the pond and then plunge him/her. In this festival, children, old people, women and men – all get colored in one color. Throughout the day, songs and dance are popular. The festival starts at 3 am and continues till late evening. During this, people wish each other.

Cherry Blossom Season Festival of Japan

This festival celebrated in Japan is also famous for its uniqueness. The festival is celebrated in the months of March and April, as the cherry tree flowers during this time. People sit in the cherry orchard with their family and greet each other. Special meals and music-dance programs are organized on this day-long festival.

Peru’s Inca Sun Festival

During this five-day festival in Peru, people roam the entire city in colorful surroundings. During this time they are in groups. Each team has a theme. These people dance to the beat of the drum and try to prove themselves better than others. In the night, all gather in front of Kuzco’s palace and wish each other.

Goroka Festival of Papua New Guinea

During this festival in Papua New Guinea, people gather at the foothills of Mount Hagen and perform traditional tribal dances. They do traditional decorations of birds. Fun feasts are held on the occasion.

Chinese Water Splashing Festival

In March-April, the festival of throwing water is celebrated in China’s Yunnan Province. It is one of the important festivals of Dai people. This festival is also known by the Buddha’s bath. During the festival, everyone throws water at each other and congratulates each other.

Bathing Festival of Tibet

In the first ten days of July, the Tibetan bathing festival is celebrated. This festival is known as Gamariji. Tibetans believe that during this period, the river or pond water is sweet, cold, soft, light, clean and harmless, which is good for the throat, but not for the stomach. Tibetans place tents on the banks of the river and lake and celebrate the bath as a festival.

Holi in Present!

• Presently Holi is changing its form because young people are not understanding its importance and are looking at the place of this very benign festival, the festival of drugs.

• Today’s youth are seated with various forms of intoxication on the day of Holi. Some people do serious damage to it, but they do not care about it.

• On this day, fighting has become common among the youth. Instead of forgetting enmity, enmity has started increasing. Nowadays young people use cow dung water and hard colors instead of color which tarnishes the beauty of Holi.

All this is spoiling the image of the festival of Holi. We have to make people aware.

Conclusion

The festival of Holi is considered a symbol of the victory of good over evil. Learning from this festival, we should also leave our evils and adopt goodness. Another lesson to be learned from this festival is that we should never have arrogance because the ego shuts down our power of thinking. We should celebrate Holi festival with great pomp with our family and friends. Holi festival is celebrated with great pomp in India. It is a festival of friendship, so it should be allowed to remain a festival of friendship. We have no right to give it some other form.

In this festival, people forget the differences between themselves and bring new energy inside them with the beginning of new life. In Hindus, the whole family waits for this unique festival throughout the year. Color is visible everywhere. The entire city becomes colorful. And gives each other lots of happiness. Different types of dishes are made in everyone’s home. In the evening, everyone goes to each other’s house and starts Abir-Gulal.