What does
Holi mean for Indians?
Cool breeze in the morning,
a riot of colours in the garden, birds singing in ecstasy. Yes,
that signals the arrival of the spring season or ritu Vasant in
India. We welcome this celebration of nature in the form of the
colourful festival of Holi. Holi means a farewell to chilly winters.
This festival falls in the month of March every year according to
the Gregorian calendar. As per the Hindu calendar, it falls on a
full moon day in the month of Phagun. Holi signifies a feeling of
friendship, brotherhood, reunion and sense of revelry. Holi is a
harvest festival besides being a spring festival. It marks the harvesting
of winter crop (Rabi) when wheat corns get ripened and turn golden
brown. Farmers celebrate Holi by offering their first crop to the
Fire God Agni.
The Legends behind Holi
In North India, this festival is associated
with the story of Prahlad and Holika. The word Holi is derived from
the name Holika. Holika was the sister of Hirankashyap, the demon
king of the Asuras. He fancied himself to be the Supreme Being.
Naturally, he ordered his people to worship him. However, the demon
king’s son was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. As son Prahlad
did not obey him, Hirankashyap asked sister Holika to sit on a burning
pyre with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon that provided her
protection against fire. But as luck would have it, Prahlad walked
out of the pyre unharmed, while Holika was burnt.
Another myth associated with the Holi
festival in North India is about Lord Krishna. The cruel king Kamsa
had sent demoness Putana to kill Krishna in Nandgaon. However, Krishna,
even though a child, outsmarted her. Therefore, Holi signifies the
victory of Lord Krishna over the evil forces. From that day, on
the eve of Holi, people light a bonfire celebrating the victory
of Lord Krishna. In Mathura and Vrindawan (Uttar Pradesh), places
famous for Krishna's raslila (love-play), Holi is celebrated with
songs, music and dances.
In Kerala and Tamilnadu, the festival
of Holi is associated with the legend of Kamdev, the Love-god. Kamdev,
in a fit of foolishness, aimed his arrow at Lord Shiva, in order
to wake the latter from his deep meditation. Lord Shiva opened his
third eye and burnt him to ashes. The grief-stricken wife of Kamdev,
Rati begged for restoration of her husband. Lord Shiva granted her
a boon whereby she could see her husband, but not in the physical
human form.
Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima is the name
by which Holi is known in Bengal. People fast and pray on this day.
When all the traditional rituals are over, Krishna's idol is smeared
with gulal and bhog is offered to both Lord Krishna and Agnidevta.
In Maharashtra, Holi is commonly
known by the name of Rangpanchami. On one Holi day, a five-year-old
Jijabhai, splashed gulal on young Shahaji. As history tells us,
Jijabai was later married to Shahaji and the couple produced the
visionary king Shivaji, the valiant Maratha ruler.
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