INDIA’S UPCOMING COLORFUL FESTIVAL ‘HOLI’ IN 12TH & 13TH MARCH, 2017

Now it’s time we are waiting excitingly for our national festival of colors… HAPPY HOLI. A most religious, cultural festival of India.  It is mainly the festival of Hindus but at present time it is also popular with non-Hindus in many parts of Asia and outside of Asia. It has also spread to some parts of Europe and North America in recent years. There also people starts celebrating this festival of colors.

There are some myths behind this celebration.  There was a demon king named HIRANYAKASHAPU. He was tremendous and typical arrogant and in dead against of LORD VISHNU(Krishna). It was strictly ordered by him, that no one could worship LORD VISHNU  in his kingdom. He demanded that he is the GOD of his tenants.

But unfortunately, his son named PRAHLADA was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. This made the king furious to his son. He  decided to give him death. As per plan, HOLIKA, the evil aunt of PRAHLADA, tricked him to sitting on her lap on a pyre. HOLIKA had immunity but PRAHLADA hadn’t. Gradually, the fire trapped them. But at last amazingly PRAHLADA was safe but holika got burnt. At that time LORD VISHNU appeared as NARSIMHA,  half lion, half human, and killed HIRANYAKASHAPU. The evil ends.

HOLI signifies the destruction of evils. We celebrate this festive in LAST FULL MOON DAY OF HINDU LUNI -SOLAR CALENDAR, MONTH OF PHALGUN. It falls oin March, sometimes in February also. Before the day HOLI, we lits up BONFIRE to remember that evil HOLIKA.

There are another story behind HOLI….  The beautiful love story of RADHA-KRISHNA. The ‘BRAJ’ region of India where LORD KRISHNA grew up, the festival celebrated for 16 days in commemoration of RADHA-KRISHNA.

Another story is…  LORD SHIVA was near to destroy the world, when he informed of GODDESS SATI’s immolation. After he controlled his anger , he renounced all worldly duties and went to deep meditation. In the mean time SATI took her rebirth as PARVATI. She tried to win LORD SHIVA”s heart and wake up from his deep meditation and balance the nature.

But she failed. She requested to KAMADEVA(Indian God of love),to help her . KAMADEVA THROWN HIS love-arrow TO lord shiva. Being disturbed by KAMADEVA, SHIVA opened his THIRD EIE and destroy KADEVA. SHIVA  later resurrected him for the sake of his wife RATI.  It is believed it was on the day HOLI , KAMADEVA sacrificed himself to save the world. So, this day is a great remembrance of that event .

This ceremony is the symbol of love,affection, relationship. HOLI is know in different names  in different region in India. it is know as LATHMAR HOLI in Barsan,… U.P,  DHULADI HOLI in Hariyana, RANGPANCHAMI in Maharashtra,…. BASANT UTSAB or DOLJATRA in West Bengal,…. HOLA MOHALLA IN Panjab ,….SIMGO IN konkani, Goa,…. KAMAN PANDIGAL in Tamilnadu,…. KHADI HOLI in Uttarakhand,… YAOSANG in Manipur,… PHAGUA in Bihar  etc.

This is the festival of  non-stop fun, play with colors. After playing, we clean up and go to have sweets, meet relatives, friends with sweets.

I am waiting eagerly for the day…. HAPPY HOLI, on 12th & 13th March 2017!!!!

with best wishes… always your friend ….

Barnali