Indian Color Festival Holi
About Holi Festival
Holi is one of
the most important festivals of Hindus which is steeped in all the colors of the
rainbow. It is celebrated in India to welcome the season of spring and end of
winters. It is a two-day long festival celebrated with lot of gaiety all over
India. On the eve of Holi, people gather to light a huge bonfire of the dried
leaves and twigs also known as Holika Dahan. On the morning of the festival, people
meet each other to apply dry and wet colors each other, play with water, and
eat sweets together
Holika Dahan: The Holi
bonfire
The main emphasis
of the festival is on the burning of the holy fire or Holika. The origin of the
traditional lighting of Holi is attributed by some to the burning of demonesses
like Holika, Holaka and Putana who represent evil, or to the burning of Madan
according to others. Traditionally a bonfire on the day of Holi,
marks the symbolic anhilation of a demoness Holika the
sister of demon, Hiranyakashipu, in Hindu mythology, while trying
to kill, a devotee, Bhakta Prahlad .
This is akin to
other festivals where effigies are burned, like Ravana Dahan
on Vijayadashami (Dusshera) day, also in many other
religions across the world, signifying end of dark or demonic forces.
Dulhendi
The next day this
victory is celebrated as the day of Dulhendi.
Principal
ingredients of celebration are Abeer and Gulal, in all possible colours. Next
comes squirting of coloured water using pichkaris. Coloured water is prepared
using Tesu flowers, which are first gathered from the trees, dried in the sun,
and then ground up, and later mixed with water to produce orange-yellow
coloured water. Another traditional Holi item now rarely seen is a where a red
powder enclosed in globes of Lakh, which break instantly and covering the party
with the powder. Regional rituals and celebrations
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