Holi is one of the major festivals of Hindus and celebrated all over India and in South Asian countries nations. It is celebrated as a Festival of colors, the festival of the beginning of spring, celebration of the victory of good over evil, festival of love, signifying bountiful spring harvests of abundance and life.
The story behind Holi is the evil king Hiranyakashyap wanted to kill his son, so he called his sister, Holika who had a magic robe. This robe had special protective powers to save the wearer from burning in fire. Hiranyakashyap ordered his sister Holika to sit in a bonfire along with his son, thinking his son would burn to death in the fire and his sister would be protected by the magic robe.
Holika lured Prahlada to sit with her in the huge bonfire. But as the fire lit, Prahlada, the son, prayed to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. So Lord Vishnu summoned a gust of wind to blow the shawl off of Holika and flew on Prahlad, saving him from the flames of the bonfire and burning Holika to death.
When the innocent good Prahlad came out of the burning fire safely and his cunning notorious aunt Holika was burnt to death, the festival of Holi is celebrated ever since with bright colors of joy to mark the victory of virtue and goodness over evil.
The festival is celebrated for five days. The 5th day, Rang Panchami, marks the closing day of the Holi festival.
People are seen with different varieties of colors on Holi. They put colors on each other, sing, dance. They worship Lord Krishna and put colors on his idol.
Families gather together and Parvi the whole day.
Holi is celebrated on the last Full Moon of the Hindu calendar. With its luni-solar origins, Holi moves around in the Western Calendar, generally coming in March, as a joyous festival of spring’s arrival.
There are several mythologies behind Holi. The story continuing from Holika Dahan relates the fate of King Hiranyakashipu, with his special powers had schemed to kill Prahlada. However, he could not be killed: by human nor animal, indoors nor outdoors, at daytime nor night-time, by projectiles nor by handheld weapons, and not on land, water or air. After Holika’s attempt to burn Prahlada failed, Vishnu in the form of Narasimha, half-human and half-lion, neither human nor animal, at dusk, neither day nor night, took Hiranyakashyapu to a doorstep, neither indoors nor outdoors, placed him on his lap, neither land, water nor air, and then disemboweled the king with his lion claws, neither a handheld nor launched weapon.
Holi focuses on the victory of good over evil. Following the evening of Holika Dahan, Holi (or Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi,or Phagwah) continues the following day.
It is considered the most unique of festivals due to its social role reversals. A latrine sweeper can hit a Brahmin man and it is all part of the festival’s role reversal. The conventional expressions of love and respect between parents and children, siblings, neighbors, and different castes are all reversed.
Incidentally, interestingly, this year, today is also Palm Sunday, on the same day as Holi. This is an event in the Christian Scripture, in the Bible, of Jesus entering into Jerusalem and being greeted by the people waving palm branches recognizing him as a King who would deliver and save them. His entry is also a spiritual significance of the triumph of good over evil, a victory over death itself.
Wishing all a Happy Holi!
