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As the brief spring warms the landscape, northern India
cuts loose for a day of hijinx and general hilarity. The
festival of Holi is celebrated on the day after the full
moon in early March every year.
Originally a festival to celebrate good harvests and
fertility of the land, Holi is now a symbolic
commemoration of a legend from Hindu Mythology. The
story centres around an arrogant king who resents his
son Prahlada worshipping Lord Vishnu. He attempts to
kill his son but fails each time. Finally, the king's
sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning, sits
with the boy in a huge fire. However, the prince
Prahlada emerges unscathed, while his aunt burns to
death. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and
huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its
symbolic representation.
This exuberant festival is also associated with the
immortal love of Krishna and Radha, and hence, Holi is
spread over 16 days in Vrindavan as well as Mathura -
the two cities with which Lord Krishna shared a deep
affiliation. Apart from the usual fun with coloured
powder and water, Holi is marked by vibrant processions
which are accompanied by folk songs, dances and a
general sense of abandoned vitality.
Today Holi is an excuse for Indians to shed inhibitions
and caste differences for a day of spring fever and Big
Fun. Teenagers spend the day flirting and misbehaving in
the streets, adults extend the hand of peace, and
everyone chases everyone else around, throwing brightly
colored powder (gulal) and water over each other.
The festival's preamble begins on the night of the full
moon. Bonfires are lit on street corners to cleanse the
air of evil spirits and bad vibes, and to symbolize the
destruction of the wicked Holika, for whom the festival
was named. The following morning, the streets fill with
people running, shouting, giggling and splashing.
Marijuana-based bhang and thandai add to the uninhibited
atmosphere.
Promptly at noon, the craziness comes to an end and
everyone heads to either the river or the bathtub, then
inside to relax the day away and partake of candies. In
the afternoon an exhausted and contented silence falls
over India. Although Holi is observed all over the
north, it's celebrated with special joy and zest at
Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, and Barsnar. These towns
once housed the divine Krishna.
Each area celebrates Holi differently; the Bhil
tribesmen of western Madhya Pradesh, who've retained
many of their pre-Hindu customs, celebrate holi in a
unique way. In rural Maharashtra State, where the
festival is known as Rangapanchami it is celebrated with
dancing and singing. In the towns of Rajasthan —
especially Jaisalmer — the music's great, and clouds of
pink, green, and turquoise powder fill the air. The
grounds of Jaisalmer's Mandir Palace are turned into
chaos, with dances, folk songs, and colored-powder
confusion.
Holi Colors :
Red - Purity
Green - Vitality
Blue - Calm and sedateness
Yellow - Pious feeling
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