Holi is celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of Falguna. This festival celebrates
spring. Holi is one of the least religious of Hindu holidays. During Holi, people attend a public bonfire, and
spray friends and family with colors in the form of powders and water.
History and meaning of Holi:
This festival is celebrated all over India. Actually, Holi is an agricultural festival, which celebrates the arrival
of spring. It is a festival that everyone irrespective of social and economic status celebrate together. There
are many reasons why Holi is celebrated. In Sanskrit language, fried cereals are called 'Holka'. Holikotsav is
named after it.
Holi is celebrated in the memory of Prahlad's victory over his father's sister named 'Holika'. Prahalad's
father asked his sister Holika (she had a boon that fire couldn't burn her) to sit in the burning fire with
Prahlad in her lap. But the opposite happened, Prahlad survived the fire but Holika was charred to death.
Thus 'holi' is celebrated to mark the victory of virtue over evil.
Another account is involving Lord Shiva. Shiva was meditating in solitude deeply. Then Madana (god of
love) decides to test Shiva's resolve and appeared to him in the form of a beautiful damsel. But Shiva
recognizes Madana and in a fit of anger burns him with his third eye and reduces him to ashes. This is
sometimes given as the reference for Holi's bonfire.
The festival of Holi is also associated with the everlasting love between Lord Krishna and Radha. According
to the legend, little Krishna asked his mother Yashoda, why Radha was fair and he so dark. Yashoda then
told him to apply colour on Radha's face and see how her complexion would change. So the new reference
to the festival also started.
Holi rituals and customs: : Holi is celebrated over two days. This festival is associated with a loosening of
social restrictions normally associated with caste, sex, status and age. Holi is thus known to bridge social
gaps and bring people together. It is also known for the loosening of social norms and licentious
merrymaking and jovial behavior. On the evening of Holi, a public bonfire is held, signifying the burning of
Holika.
The main ritual of Holi is to throw and apply colored water and powders on friends and family. Thus the
name, "Festival of Colors." In Bengal, Holi has the Dolayatra (Swing Festival), according to which, images of
god are placed on specially decorated platforms and people take turns swinging on them. Men and women
dance and sing songs as they spray colored water at eachother.
