India is a very colourful country, bright with culture and enriched with beautifully woven epics of Mahabharata, Ramayana and the Vedas, which inspires the lives of every true Indian. The foundation of every Hindu household is some or the other way cemented with these Vedas and Puranas. Every generation is expected to pass on these mythologies. Even the festivals those are celebrated revolve around these tales.

Do you know, there is one colour of Holi that we have always neglected, or rather overlooked?

Earlier every mother or grandmother used to be a magic storyteller for the children who use to pass on the fabulous tales of Lord Rama-the obedient son, the mischievous Shri Krishna-the lover and many more such stories.  The fast pace world, where everyone is racing to become independent, make an identity of its own has lost some the essence of being an Indian. This aspect of the mother being the story teller, passing on the fantastic tales has somehow gone oblivious.

But no matter what, these mystical legends somehow manage to squeeze into the narrow paths of our lives via television series or via festivals and justify every single moment of our existence as an Indian. The upcoming festival of Holi is also woven around the story of the devotee Prahlad, the cruel father Hiranyakashyap and his sister Holika. As the legend describes, demon king Hiranyakshyap considered himself a god, while his son Prahlad was a dedicated devotee of Lord Vishnu. Despite of many attempts, the king failed to stop his son from worshiping the Lord and convince him that he was the GOD. Therefore, Hiranyakshyap sought the help of his sister, Holika who had a boon to enter fire unscathed. He asked her to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. But instead Holika paid a price for her sinister desire and got burnt while Prahlad remained unscathed and this started the tradition of ‘Holika dahan’.

I know most of you must be aware of this legend, and wondering what went neglected! Well, everybody praised Prahlad, the good warrior in this war between good and bad, but ever wondered how the son of a demon becomes a devotee? Yes, that is what we overlook! Very little is talked about the mother, Queen Kayadu, who managed to raise the warrior of good even being in the kingdom of bad. It was because of her perseverance, that she strived and faced all the odds, being the queen herself to raise a lotus in the mud. Nobody tries to look through the agony and misery she had to face, to fight for her son, while being bound by the limitations of intrinsic moral laws of Hindu tradition. Amongst every odds she managed to raise a son who became immortal for his trust on God and belief in the goodness.

So, this Holi, make Queen Kayadu your inspiration, and every moment you feel the evils of the society is letting you down, raise yourself up from the dirt and bring up child as a legend! This Holi, we join our hand to “Pranaam” the mothers who already are setting an example and Wishing happy Holi to all the mothers, who all are already set to become the Kayadu for their children.   Happy Holi!