HOLI is the festival of joy, mirth
and buoyancy and is celebrated on the full moon day
in the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu Calendar
which is the month of March as per the Gregorian Calendar.
Holi is also the festval of
colours.
Festival of colours.
Holi or Holika, also called holikotsava, is an extremely
popular festival observed throughout the country (India).
It is especially marked by unmixed gaiety and frolics
and is common to all sections of the people.
During the three days of this festival, particularly
the whole country, towns, cities and villages - go
gay with merry makers, streets, parks and public places
are crowded with people, daubed in diverse colours,
looking funny and ridiculous. Children and youngsters
vie with each other in being original and use fast
and sticky colours. It is all a mirthful abandon for
them.
The mythological origins of this festival vary in
different parts of the country. In South India specially
in Tamilnadu and Kerala the legend that is popular
is of Kamdev-the Love-god, his bow is of sugarcane
having the string of a line of humming bees and his
arrow-shafts are topped with passion that pierce the
heart. In spring he moves through woodlands and hunts
birds, beasts and men. Once in his foolish pride,
he aimed his arrow at the mighty Lord Shiv who was
in deep meditation. Lord Shiv opened his third eye
and burnt him to ashes. Grief-stricken Rati, Kamdev's
wife beseeched Lord Shiv to take pity on her and restore
her husband to life. Shiv relented and granted her
the boon that she could see her husband but he would
remain "anang" that meant without the physical
human form. Hence, the songs sung during Holi tell
the pathetic tale of Rati and her lamentations. In
Tamilnadu Holi is known by three different names -
Kamavilas, Kaman Pandigai and Kama-dahanam.
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Lord
Krishna, the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu is also
worshipped during the Holi festival, which is celebrated
as a commemoration of a mythological incident. Putana,
the she-demon was sent by the cruel king Kamsa to kill
the child Krishna. In guise of a beautiful woman, Putana
went about in the village of Nandgaon suckling every
child to death. But the infant Krishna sucked her breasts
till blood started flowing and she succumbed to her
death. Hence, on the previous evening of the Holi day,
bonfires are lighted to celebrate the victory of Krishna
and the death of Putana. Those who attribute the origin
of festivals to seasonal cycles maintain that Putana
represents winter and her death the cessation and end
of winter.
More
Legends
The mighty king Hiranyakashyapu in his stupendous ego
ordered his people to worship him as god. His son Prahlad
defying his father's orders continued his worship of
LordVishnu. The king wanting to kill Prahlad and wipe
out the very name of Lord Vishnu sent his sister Holika,
who possessed the boom of never being burnt by fire,
to destroy Prahlad. She cajoled the young Prahlad to
sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing
fire with the full conviction that fire could never
touch her. But the flames devoured Holika and Prahlad
walked out of the fire unscathed and alive. Perhaps
this festival got its name from this incident. Certainly
it was the victory of good over Evil.
In North India and Uttar Pradesh, this victory is celebrated;
effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that
are lit. This tradition is also followed in Gujarat
and Orissa. To render greatfulness to Agni, god of Fire,
gram and stalks from the harvest are also offered to
Agni with all humility.
According to the stories in the Puranas and
various local legends are consolidated as beow:
- It was on this
day that Lord Siva opened his third eye and reduced
Kamadeva (the god of love, Cupid or Eros) to ashes.
- It was on this
day that Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakasyapu,
who tried to kill the child devotee Prahlad by taking
him on her lap and sitting on a pyre of wood which
was set ablaze. Holika was burnt to ashes while
Prahlad remained unscathed!
- It was again on
this day that an ogress called Dhundhi, who was
troubling the children in the kingdom of Prthu (or
Raghu) was made to run away for life, by the shouts
and pranks of the mischievous boys. Though she had
secured several boons that made her almost invincible,
this – noise, shouts, abuses and pranks of
boys – was a chink in her armour due to a
curse of Lord Siva. The day itself came to be called
‘Adada’ or ‘Holika’ since
then.
- There are practically
no religious observances for this day like fasting
or worship.
The day
is also celebrated as the birthday of Sri Krsna Chaitanya
(A.D. 1486-1533), mostly in Bengal, as also in Puri
(Orissa), Mathura and Vrndavan (in Uttar Pradesh). |
