Holi Mahotsav 2011

The fire Holika

The Holi celebration therefore begins with lightening up the holy fire or Bonfire on the Holi eve. This fire is also

known as Holika Dahan, which means the burning of Holika. The origins of the traditional lighting of Holi lie in the burning

of demons like Holika, Holaka and Putana, who are representing evil. The Bonfire signifies the exorcism of evil

and the end of dark or demonic forces. During the fire, people are dancing and singing around it, celebrating

victory of good and the destruction of evil.

* Play of Colours

Once the ashes of the Bonfire are cooled down, it is time for the main day of Holi celebrations.

The day is called Dhuleti and celebrates spring. It is on this day that the actual play of colours takes place.

People take extreme delight in spraying coloured water and powder on each other and sprinkle each other with

fragrances. The colours symbolize the nature around us, which once again will start to grow and bloom in spring.

Also exuberant eating, drinking and singing are an intrinsic part of the Holi festivity.

Everybody, young, old, family, friends, enjoys these celebrations till late in the night.

LEGEND

There are various legends to explain the meaning of the word Holi, which signifies burning.

The most prominent legend of all is the one associated with demon King Hiranyakashyap:

^{There was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over}^{the kingdom}

^{of earth...}

He was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him.

But to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to

worship his father.

Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. Finally, he asked

his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon,

whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed.

Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire.

The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that

the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.

Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him

        for his extreme devotion.
        Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

        Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot

harm a true devotee. And, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

HOLIKA AND THE LEGEND.

Even today, people enact the scene of Holika's burning to ashes every year to mark the victory of good over evil.

In several states of India, specially in the north, effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that are lit. There is

even a practice of hurling cow dungs into the fire and shouting obscenities at it as if at Holika. Then everywhere one

hears shouts of Holi-hai! Holi-hai!.

The tradition of burning Holika is religiously followed in Gujarat and Orissa also. Here, people render their gratitude

to Agni, the god of fire by offering gram and stalks from the harvest with all humility.

Further, on the last day of Holi, people take a little fire from the bonfire to their homes. It is believed that by

following this custom their homes will be rendered pure and their bodies will be free from disease.

At several places there is also a tradition of cleaning homes, removing all dirty articles from around the house

and burning them. Disease-breeding bacteria are thereby destroyed and the sanitary condition of the locality is

improved.

Holi Mahotsav derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.
The legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee.

And, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.