Holi
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Holi is known as the festival of colors and is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima which comes in February end or early March. Holi festival has an ancient origin and signifies the triumph of 'good' over 'bad'. This colourul festival helps
in bridging the social gap and cements the relationships. There is a custom of hugging and wishing each other 'Happy Holi' on this day.Holi is considered as the famous Hindu spring festival and has got many names as per the region and the community like its
knwon as Phaghwa in Bhojpuri and in west Bengal, it is known as Dolyatra. On the eve of holi, people celebrate by organising bonfires at night which signifies the burning of
holika. On the next day, known as Dhulandi, people spend the day rubbing colored powder also known as
gulal and abeer on each other's faces and throwing water at each other. Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings and love to dear ones wrapped in a special Holi gift.
Holi is an ancient festival of India and was originally known as
'Holika'. The festivals finds a detailed description in early religious works such as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras. Historians also believe that Holi was celebrated by all Aryans but more so in the Eastern part of India.
It is said that Holi existed several centuries before Christ. However, the meaning of the festival is believed to have changed over the years. Earlier it was a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the
full moon (Raka) was worshiped.
Besides having a detailed description in the Vedas and Puranas such as Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana, the festival of Holi finds a mention in Jaimini Mimansa. A stone incription belonging to 300 BC found at Ramgarh in the province of Vindhya has
mention of Holikotsav on it. King Harsha, too has mentioned about holikotsav in his work Ratnavali that was written during the 7th century.
The famous Muslim tourist - Ulbaruni too has mentioned about holikotsav in his historical memories. Other Muslim writers of that period have mentioned, that holikotsav were not only celebrated by the Hindus but also by the Muslims.
Legends About Holi
The literal meaning of the word 'Holi' is 'burning'. There are various legends to explain the meaning of this word, most prominent of all is the legend associated with demon king
Hiranyakashyap.
Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu.Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika
had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result she paid a price for her sinister desires, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the god
for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion.
Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with play with colors as the Lord started the tradition of play with colours by applying colour on his beloved Radha and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity with the people and
became a tradition.
There are also a few other legends associated with the festival - like the legend of
Shiva and Kaamadeva and those of Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. All depict triumph of good over evil - lending a philosophy to the festival.
Related Links
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History of Holi
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There are stories about Krishna spraying colors on Radha and other Gopikas and smearing their faces with 'Gulal' suggesting that Holi is older than the birth of these deities. In Bengal and Orissa, Holi is also celebrated as the
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Holi Songs
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One of the most popular Holi songs, the touch of eroticism and amorous teasing of the song made it extremely popular and was in league with the spirit of Holi -
Rang Barase Bheege Chunarwali
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Holi Recipes
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The special food items that are prepared for Holi are gujjia, papri and kanji ke vade. Meat dishes, like kofta curry, are also served. Thandai or alcoholic beverages are served along with the food.
How the foods are
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Holi Celebrations
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Holi is the festival of freedom from social norms. Colors and 'gulal' are showered on the people dressed up in white clothes and the whole community seems to merge into one big fraternity under the guise of colors, without any di
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Around the World (Holi)
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The festival of Holi is observed across the world wherever Indians and people of Indian origin reside. Feted with great gusto, Holi conjures up a feeling of equality and oneness among all. People have a good time by playing with colored powder, light
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Holi Gifts
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The festival of joy and colour - Holi has some specific gift traditions too. What though is common throughout India is the exchange of mithai or sweets.
Exchange of Sweets :
Sweet sellers make special
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