HOLI - THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS
Holi is a religious, cultural and spring festival which is celebrated in all over the India. This festival is also known THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS .
It is celebrated on arrival of spring and at the end of winter. Peoples meet each other; play colors, laugh, forget and forgive for old mishaps and repair their broken links & relationships.
It signifies the victory of God over Evil. It is also celebrated for a thanks giving for a good harvest.
According to hindi calendar the month in which it is celebrated is PHALGUNA . So, it is also known as PHAGWAH . It starts at evening and lasts on another day. The firts evening is CHOTI HOLI or HOLIKA DAHAN ; after that on another day RANG WALI HOLI or DHULENDI is celebrated.
Holi is religious hindu festival but now it becomes more popular in non-hindu's also. Popularity of this festival is increased and spread to all over the world; and is celebrated as celebration of love frolic and as a festival of colors.
The celebration of Holi festival starts one night before the holi with a HOLIKA DAHAN; where people gather and performs religious rituals in the front of bonfire. They prey to destroy their internal evil in the way of holika ( the sister of demon king Hirnyakahsyapu ) destroyed ( killed in fire ).
The next morning is celebrated as Rang Wali Holi ( Playing With Colors ). Peoples smear each other with colors. Water guns, water filled balloons, pichkari, is also used to color each other. Everything is fair in this festival; women, men, boy, girl, rich, poor, old, younger each and every person try to color each other Even the peoples feel happy to play Holi with mud. Some peoples drink BHANG ( MARIJUANA) .Fight of people with colors could be seen on the streets. Some groups of people carry drums and musical instruments; go from place to place , sin HOLI SONG and dance. People visit their family, friends and relatives; color each othre, shares food stuff, gujiya, malpua's and drinks. Devar and Bhabhi celebrates Holi in interesting way.
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| HOLIKA DAHAN |
HOLIKA DAHAN
It refreshes the memory of VISHNU LEGEND . PRAHALAD was the follower of God Vishnu. Holika bonfire signifies the celebration of symbolic victory of god on evil, Prahalad on Hirnyakashyapu, and of the fire that burned Holika.
Hirnyakashyapu was the king of demons ( Asuras) . He earned five power by boon. The boon he earned were :-
- he could be killed by neither human nor by animal
- neither indoor nor outdoor
- neither at day and nor at night
- neither by ashtra ( projectile weapon, bow etc.) and nor by shastra ( hand held weapon, sword javelian etc. )
- neither on land nor in water or air
Due to these boons, HIRNYAKASHYAPU became arrogant and thoughts that he is God and everyone of his civilians to worship only his as God. But his own son PRAHALADA disagrees with him and remains devoted to the God VISHNU .
This cause frustation in HIRNYAKASHYAPU and he decided to give cruel punishment to his son. He made a plan with his sister HOLIKA to burn his son in fire.
HOLIKA ; PRAHALADA'S evil aunt tricked him into sitting on fire with her. The cloak that was weared by Holika made her immune against any injury from fire. Prahalada was not immuned for that. As the fire roared , the cloak flew from Holika and encase Prahalada; who survived while Holika burned.
The God VISHNU takes an avtar and took the form of NARSIMHA which is half human and half lion , and at dusk (when it was neither day & nor night ), carry Hirnyakashyapu at doorstep ( which was neither indoor nor outdoor ), placed him on his lap ( which was neither land , water or air ) and killed Hirnyakashyapu with lion claws ( which was neither hand held weapon nor the projectile or launched weapon )
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| DHULENDI / RANG WALI HOLI
DHULENDI / RANG WALI HOLI
It refreshes the memory of KRISHNA LEGEND . It shows the devine love of RADHA & KRISHNA.
In the BRIJ region of India; as a baby Krishna developed his characteristic dark blue skin color due to the feeding the poisoned milk of demon-PUTANA. In the young age Krishna despaired wheather the fair skinned Radha and other girls would like him because of his skin color ?
His mother tired of his desperation suggested him to approach Radha and color her face in any color he wanted.
He does as suggested by his mother and Radha & Krishna becomes couple.
Even now the Krishna's of today colors the faces of her Radha symbolically like the Krishna done, on Dhulendi ( Phagwah) . It renews the memory of THE LOVE OF RADHA AND KRISHNA .
DO'S AND DON'T FOR HOLI :-
MAKE YOUR OWN NATURAL COLOR FOR HOLI
POWDER COLORS GREEN COLOR :- Mix dried henna, spinach or coriander leaves with fine wheat flour. Grind and mesh it and get natural green color ( powdered) for holi. RED COLOR :- Dried rose petals or beetroot powder can be used to make red color. Mix beetroot powder with fine wheat flour; grind & mesh it to get a red natural color ( powdered ) for holi. BLUE COLOR :- Use dried blue hibiscus flower or indigo powder to make blue color. Mix this powder with fine wheat flour ; grind and mesh it to get a blue natural color ( powdered ) for holi. YELLOW COLOR :- Powder the gram or turmeric and mix this powder with fine wheat flour. Grind and mesh it to get yellow color ( powdered ) for your holi. LIQUID COLORS RED COLOR :- Cut and soak beetroot in water. Grind it to make fine paste. Add water to get desired color strength. Filter before use. BLACK COLOR :- Pinch Amla and kept it in iron vessel overnight to get a liquid black color. Dilute it with water as required. Filter before use. YELLOW COLOR :- Add one teaspoon of haldi ( turmeric ) to one litre of water. Stir and boil it. Cool down and filter it. Add water to me desired concentration. GREEN COLOR :- Grind green leaves like spinach etc. and make a paste. Add water as required. Filter it before use.
FRIENDS
MAY THIS HOLI JOINS YOUR ALL BROKEN RELATIONS WITH FIRM BONDINGS
HAPPY HOLI
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