Holi a festival of colours
-Rohit Kumar Parmar
Pic-01 Holi Colours
Holi is another festival celebrating the end of winter and arrival of spring with a hope for a good harvest. Holi celebrations begin in February and end with grand Mathura Holi (normally in March) in Brij Bhoomi (western Uttar Pradesh along river Yamuna) in Gokul, Vrindavan, Barsana, Nandgaon, Mathura.
Holi celebrations start on the evening of Purnima (Full Moon) in Phalguna (corresponding to March) with Holika Dahan (burning an effigy of demoness Holika) when people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed. Holika, the sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire, in a failed attempt to immolate Bhakt Prahlad who was a devotee of Vishnu and the son of Hiranyakashipu.
Pic-02 Gujiya, holi favourite
The next morning is celebrated as holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, or Phagwah. Holi is a free-for-all festival of colours, where people apply dry and wet colour and drench each other. Conventionally gulal (dry pink colour and with red, green, yellow and blue colours) is applied. After applying colour people say `bura na mano holi hai.’ Children use water guns and water-filled balloons to play holi, starting a few days before holi. At work place on the last evening before holi, dry colour is applied to friends and colleagues.
Some of the colours used are toxic and there is a need to avoid them and preferably play with natural/ safe colours. There is need for elders to guide children/ others to respect people, especially women and people moving for work, who don’t want to play holi.
Groups (tolis) beat the dhol (drum) and play musical instruments, moving from place to place, sing and dance and saying `holi-hai’. Customary intoxicating drink thandai made from bhang (hemp/ cannabis) base, is also taken. Bhang pakodas are also prepared as a namkeen (savoury) dish. Gujiya mithai is an important sweet prepared on holi.
Pic-03 Thandai, Bhang Plant and Bhang Pakodas
Several cinema have key songs on holi where there is singing and dance alongwith playing holi. True to Hindi cinema, it continues to focus on social, economic and other issues, and in one song, holi is played with a widow, which is otherwise taboo.
There are several legends of holi, some of which relate to avatars (human incarnation of God) of Vishnu
Krishna avatar legend
In Braj bhumi where Krishna grew up, holi is celebrated till Rang Panchmi (fifth day of the lunar month) in commemoration of the love of Radha and Krishna.
There is a mythological story behind Krishna, when he as a baby developed characteristic dark skin colour because demoness Putana, attempted to poison him by breast feeding him after applying poison.
Vishnu/ Narasimha (half human and half lion) avatar legend
There is a legend to celebrate triumph of good over evil, in honour of Vishnu and his devotee Bhakta Prahlada.
According to Bhagavata Purana (legend in chapter 7), Hiranyakashipu the king of Asuras (demons), grew arrogant after he earned a boon that granted him five wishes. These were - he could be killed by
neither a human being nor an animal;
neither indoors nor outdoors;
neither at day nor at night;
neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons); and
neither on land nor in water or air.
Hiranyakashipu demanded that everyone worship him but his son, Prahlada, remained a Vishnu devotee. Hiranyakashipu subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, which did not affect his devotion to Vishnu.
Finally, Holika, Prahlada's evil bhua (paternal aunt), tricked him into sitting with her on a pyre. Holika was wearing a chunni (cloak) that made her immune to any injury from fire, while Prahlada was not protected. As the fire soared, a storm blew the chunni from Holika and covered Prahlada, who survived while Holika burned to death.
In a related/ subsequent incident, Vishnu, appears as Narasimha avatar – half human and half lion (neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (neither day nor night), takes Hiranyakashipu to the doorstep (neither indoors nor outdoors), makes him sit on his lap (neither land, water nor air), and then disemboweled (removes his internal organs/ intestines/ guts) and kills him with lion claws (neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).
Kama and Rati legend
Holi is linked to Siva who was in deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring back Siva into the world, seeks help from Kamadeva (god of love) on Vasant Panchami. Kamadeva shoots an arrow at Siva. Siva, opens his third eye and burns Kamadeva to ashes. This upsets both Kama's wife Rati (Kamadevi) and his own wife Parvati. Rati performs meditative asceticism for forty days, upon which Siva realises his mistake and out of compassion forgives and restores Kamadeva. This return of Kamadeva is celebrated on the 40th day after Vasant Panchami as Holi. The Kama legend has many variants, especially in South India.
Barsana Lathmaar Holi
Lathmar holi (hitting with thick wooden sticks) is a local celebration of holi, and takes place days before holi in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon near Mathura.
The festivities take place at Radha Rani temple in Barsana, allegedly Holi's only temple dedicated to the Goddess Radha.
The legend is linked to Lord Krishna and Radha and is based in Nandagon, when on a visit to Barsana, Radha's town, Krishna teased Radha and her friends, who were offended by his advances and drove him out of Barsana.
So men from Nandagaon visit Barsana every year and are greeted by women hurling latha at them. The men try to protect themselves but those who fail are captured by these women, who then dress them as women and make them dance in public.
In addition to India and Nepal, holi is celebrated by the diaspora in several countries.
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