Holi, festival of colours
(25.03.2024)
-Rohit Kumar Parmar [1]
Pic HOL-01 Colours of Holi
Holi, the festival of colours celebrates the end of winter and arrival of spring, [2] with a tall and visible Rabi crop (mustard and wheat) ripening and ready for harvest. Holi celebrations begin in February with prayers in temples/homes, and end with grand Mathura Holi (normally in March) in B/Vrij Bhoomi, and in other parts of India, Nepal and by the diaspora.
Vrij Bhoomi (Pic HOL-02), is a region on both banks of river Yamuna with its centre at Mathura-Vrindavan, encompassing Agra, Aligarh, Etah, Farrukhabad, Hathras and Mainpuri, Mathura, in Uttar Pradesh; Palwal and Ballabhgarh in Haryana; Bharatpur and Deeg in Rajasthan; and Morena in Madhya Pradesh. Vraj region is associated with Radha and Krishna, who were born in Barsana and Mathura respectively.
Pic HOL-02 Map of Brij Bhumi
Holi celebrations start on the evening of Purnima (Full Moon) in the Lunar month of Phalguna (corresponding to March) with Holika Dahan (burning of an effigy of Holika) when people gather around a bonfire, and pray that their internal evils (anger, envy, greed, jealousy) be destroyed. In Himachal Pradesh, Holi is played during the morning of Purnima, followed by Holika Dahan, after sunset.
Holika, the sister of king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in a fire, in a failed attempt to immolate Bhakt Prahalad, who was a devotee of Vishnu and the son of Hiranyakashipu. Symbolic burning of Holika as an effigy is done after sunset, preceded by prayers, where tying the thread around the effigy is an important ceremony, performed by several devotees during the day.
The following morning is celebrated as Holi, Dhulandi, Dhuleti, Phaguwah, or Rangwali Holi.
Pic HOL-03 Preparation for Holika dahan outside a Radha Krishna temple
In Assam, Odisha, West Bengal and Bangladesh, it is called Dola Jatra, Dola Purnima, Doul Utsav or Deul. The word Dol means swing (Jhula). According to a legend, it was on this day (Phalguna Poornima), that Krishna expressed his love for Radha by throwing 'Phag' (powdered colour - gulaal) on her face when she was on a swing with her 'sakhis'. In the celebrations, after applying colour, the sakhis (सखी) celebrate the union by carrying Radha and Krishna, on a palki (palanquin) - called jatra (journey). Even today, traditional Bengali Dol Jatra is played with dry colours. The day also marks the last festival of the year, as per the Bengali calendar (panjika).
Pic HOL-04 Gujiya, favourite sweet of holi
On holi day, टोलिस (tolis, Groups) beat the ढोल (dhol, drum) and play some other musical instruments, moving from place to place, singing and dancing and saying `होली है’ (it’s Holi) and receive sweets and money.
Pic HOL-05 Thandai, Bhang Leaves and Bhang Pakoda
Customary intoxicating drink ठंडाई made from bhang (hemp/cannabis base), is also taken as prasad. गुझिया (Gujiya) mithai/variants are an important sweet prepared on Holi. Other sweets include मालपुआ (malpua), मटका कुल्फी (matka kulfi). Bhang pakodas (fritters) are also prepared as a namkeen (savoury) dish, alongwith चाट, (chaat) दही भल्ला, (Dahi Bhalla) समोसा, (samosa) कचौड़ी (kachoree).
Holi is a free-for-all festival of colours, where people apply dry and wet colour and drench each other with coloured/water. Traditionally Gulal (dry pink) is applied. After applying colour people say `बुरा ना मानो होली है’ (bura na maano holi hai, Please don’t get offended, it is Holi)’ Children use water guns and water-filled balloons to celebrate Holi, starting a few days before Holi. At work place and in educational institutions on the last evening before Holi, dry colour is applied to friends, colleagues and others, as a start to the celebrations.
Some of the colours used are toxic/strong chemical base and there is a need to avoid them, and 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.
Pic HOL-06 Vendor selling Dhols close to Holi
Several Indian movies have songs on Holi, where there is singing, dancing and playing Holi. True to Indian cinema, it focuses on social, economic and other issues, and in one song, Holi is played with a widow, which was otherwise taboo. [3]
Legends associated with Holi
There are several legends associated with Holi, some of which relate to incarnations of God Vishnu (अवतार , avatars) and to other Gods.
Krishna avatar legend
In Vraj Bhoomi where Krishna grew up, Holi is celebrated till Rang Panchami (fifth day of the lunar month of Phalguna).
There is a mythological story behind Krishna, when as a baby he developed dark skin colour because demoness Putana, tried to poison him by breast feeding him, after applying poison to her breasts.
Vishnu/Narasimha (half human and half lion) avatar legend
This is a legend celebrating the triumph of good over evil, honouring Vishnu and his devotee Bhakta Prahalad.
According to Bhagavata Purana (legend in chapter 7 of Bhagavata Purana), Hiranyakashipu the king of Asuras (demons), became arrogant after he was granted five wishes. These were - he could be killed by
neither a human, nor an animal;
neither indoors, nor outdoors;
neither at day, nor at night;
neither on land, water or in air; and
neither by astra (projectile/launched weapon), nor by any shastra (handheld weapon).
Hiranyakashipu demanded that everyone worship him, but his son Prahalad, remained a devotee of Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu subjected Prahalad to cruel punishments, which did not affect his devotion to Vishnu.
Holika, Prahalad's evil bhua (paternal aunt), tricked him into sitting with her on a pyre. Holika was wearing a divine chunni (cloth cloak used by women in India to cover their head and/or breasts) that made her immune to any injury from fire, while Prahalad was not protected. As the fire soared, a storm blew the chunni from Holika and covered Prahalad, who survived, while Holika burned to death.
In a related/subsequent incident, Vishnu, appeared as Narasimha avatar – half human and half lion (neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (neither at day, nor at night), took Hiranyakashipu to the doorstep (neither indoors, nor outdoors), made him sit on his lap (neither on land, water or in air), and then disemboweled (removed his internal organs/intestines/guts) and killed him with lion claws (neither by astra projectile/launched weapon, nor by any shastra - handheld weapon).
Kama and Rati legend
Holi is also linked to God Siva who was in deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring back Siva to the material 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 Rati (Kamadevi, Kamadev’s wife) and Parvati (Siva’s wife). Rati performs meditation for forty days, upon which Siva realises his mistake and forgives Kamadeva and brings him back to life. The return of Kamadeva is celebrated on the 40th day after Vasant Panchami as Holi. The Kamadeva legend has many variants, especially in South India.
Barsana लट्ठमार होली (Lathmaar Holi)
लट्ठमार होली (Lathmar Holi, beating with thick/strong wooden sticks) is a local celebration of Holi, and takes place a week before Holi in the towns of Barsana and Nandgaon near Mathura.
The festivities take place at Radha Rani temple in Barsana, a temple dedicated to Goddess Radha.
The legend linked to Lord Krishna and Radha, 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 striking लट्ठ (laths, sticks) at them. Men try to protect themselves but those who don’t succeed are captured. The captured men are then dressed as women and made to dance in public.
In addition to India and Nepal, Holi is celebrated by the diaspora in several countries. Variants of colour festivals are observed in South-East Asia, like Songkran in Thailand.
[1] Author, Freelance, Indian Economic Service (Retired), former Senior Economic Adviser, Government of India, Ministry of Consumer Affairs, Food and Public Distribution and former Adviser (P 4) UNDP, Yemen has in posts
on his website (https://rohitkparmar.wixsite.com/site),
YouTube channel (https://youtube.com/@rohitkparmar),
X (formerly twitter) (https://twitter.com/rohitkparmar?s=09),
Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/rohit.parmar.5268750/),
been writing/sharing varied topics and
can be reached at rohitkparmar@yahoo.com.
[2] Spring in the Indian sub-continent is different from the west in several respects, most important of which is that all trees in India do not shed all their leaves.
[3] Some of these songs shared on Holi, can be viewed on facebook, twitter and YouTube channel of the author.
Comments