Holi, the festival of colours, is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima in the month of February-March. With the enchanting and flowery aroma of gulal or abeer and the wonderful colours, there is an infinite happiness that spreads in the air during this day of love and celebration. Such is the brilliance of this day, that people come together to celebrate it, forgetting all sorts of rancour and resentments.
With cheerful words like “Bura Na Maano Holi Hai!” and the never ending zeal to multiply the laughter and smiles, the Holi festival is observed with great affection and excitement all across the nation.
Significance of Holi
Being one of the oldest festivals of India, the day is celebrated with boundless enthusiasm amongst people of all ages. When it comes to the origin of this beautiful festival, one can find several interesting stories, the most popular being the one related to ‘Holika Dahan’.
This ritual is associated with the lighting of bonfires and portrays the victory of good over evil. The story revolves around an egotistical demon king Hiranyakashyap who disliked his son Prahlada as he used to worship Lord Vishnu. With an ambition to kill his own son, the king took the help of his sister Holika. Holika was purported to be immune to burning, and thus, she held Prahlada and sat with him in a huge fire. However, as fate would have it, prince Prahlada emerged unharmed, whereas his aunt Holika burnt to death in the fire. This is the reason why huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi to celebrate the victory of good over bad.
Another story about Holi festival is associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha. Revelling the deep love and affection that existed between the duo, Holi celebrations in Vrindavan and Mathura extend to over 16 days.
Holi Celebration:
In this day and age, this festival has become a great reason for Indians to shed various inhibitions and differences and commemorate the spirit of love and enjoyment in the best possible manner. People from all walks of life, rejoice this day with unending fervour and cheerfulness.Remember one thing try to celebrate eco-friendly Holi.
With hands full of gulal, everyone is seen excited to smear the coloured powder on their loved ones’ faces. Kids love to throw coloured water at each other with the use of those high end pichkaris (water guns) available in the markets at present. And, we can not really forget those tiny but frightening water balloons, we are all scared of! All of this adds more fun to the celebration of this incredible festival!,
Holi parties are being celebrated all over the country and Thandai, Bhang (a paste prepared from the leaves and flowers/buds of the female cannabis plan) is served to the guests as a traditional ritual along with some highly sought after sweets like Gujiya, Moong dal Halwa, Peda and the rest.
Amidst all the fun, shouting, giggling and splashing of colours and water, the festival brings people together. A truly social festival, Holi is a day we all look forward to celebrate with eagerness in our hearts. Perhaps, this is the reason why we have been hearing about the modern Holi stuff that helps in the celebration of the festival in a much more uninhibited atmosphere.
Browse Mother’s Zone and gain more information on how can you take care of your kids during the celebration of this festival. Also learn how to prepare the famous Holi dishes comprising of the popular sweets and beverages like Gujiya dipped in Sugar Syrup, Dry Gujiya, Malpua, Papdi, and the rest by visiting our famous and much loved ‘Recipes’ section.
