It's that time of the year again! Holi is back and as fun-filled, colourful and lively as ever! It's an occasion that brings everyone together and fills the streets with pure, unadulterated joy, music, and dance, and of course, lots and lots of colour. This year, Holi is being celebrated on March 8, 2012.
A festival that waves goodbye to the shivery chill of winter, Holi is one of the most popular festivals in India. Essentially a Hindu festival, it is celebrated by just about everyone, across caste and religion and age. An excuse to don your oldest clothes and step out into the streets, your water guns in your hands and powdered colours hiding in your fists, Holi lets even grown-ups have fun.
A two-day festival, Holi is celebrated every year on the day after the full moon in early March as per the Hindu calendar. It marks the time for the spring harvest and welcomes the blessings of the Gods for the fertility of the land. This also explains the other names of the festival — “Vasant Mahotsav” and “Kama Mahotsav”.
Holi is also known as the festival of colours. In ancient times, the colours of holi, the dry powdered ones known as gulal as well as the wet ones called rang were prepared at home, from the extracts of colourful forest flowers and leaves. The teshu or palash tree bore bright red and deep orange flowers, which were ground into fine powder and added to water, creating a rich saffron-red dye called abeer . Today, unfortunately, a lot of colours available in the market contain chemicals that, unlike natural colours, can be very harmful to one's skin and eyes. The damaging effects of these chemicals can be countered by once again turning to natural colours and making the festival an eco-friendly one. Many brands of environmentally and physically safe colours are now available in the market. Along with this, many campaigns, like the CLEAN India campaign, have been teaching children to make natural colours with cheap and easily available resources.
While on other days, one could not get away with squirting colour on passers-by, on Holi, it's practically a rule! Dunking friends in pools of water and smearing powered colour on each others' faces is part of the celebration. Along with colours, this festival also guarantees a veritable feast of traditional sweetmeats like Gujhias in Northern India and Puran Poli in Maharashtra.
It is time to let your hair down, pick up a little colour and find your next victim!
The story of Holika
Prince Prahlad was a devout follower of Vishnu. His father, the demon king Hiranyakashyap could not tolerate this, for he had won over the kingdom of earth and commanded that in his kingdom, only he be worshipped. His son's devotion to Lord Vishnu led Hiranyakashyap to try and kill his son several times. But each time, Vishnu saved his follower. Finally, Hiranyakashyap asked his sister, Holika, to enter a burning pyre with Prahlad in her lap. According to a boon, Holika was supposed to be unscathed by fire. Instead, Prahlad, who kept chanting Vishnu's name, remained unharmed, while Holika perished. Holi derives its name from Holika and is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil. Even today, on the first day of the festival, also called Chhoti Holi (Little Holi) or Holika Dahan, people burn bonfires with Holika effigies to mark this occasion.
Brij holi
Holi has also been associated with the celebration of the immortal love between Krishna and his consort, Radha.
In Vrindavan and Mathura, believed to be the places where Krishna grew up, Holi is celebrated for 16 days, culminating in Rangpanchami.
Brij Holi, as it is called, is famous all over the world for being a fun filled, beautiful and joyous experience.
Play safe
Try and play with only natural colours. Not only are they safer, they are also easier to get off once the festivities are over.
Make sure that your face is well creamed before and after the play, your nails covered with nail paint to protect them, and your hair well oiled. You can also apply oil on your body. It protects you from harmful colours and the slippery coat also makes you difficult to catch!
Since it is almost impossible to save your face from an attack of colours on Holi, keep your eyes and lips tightly closed.
Wear your oldest clothes, and try to wear full-sleeved T-shirts or shirts and leggings that cover your legs.
When travelling keep the car windows shut, and try to stay at a safe distance from mobs with colours.
Do not use permanent dyes. If someone has applied it on you, use good quality cleansing milk for removal.
Play with eggs if you must, but avoid mud, stones, tar, shoe polish etc.
If you are prone to skin allergies, avoid playing with gulal altogether.
Avoid running or jumping on wet floors.
