Holi Celebrations

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 distinction of caste, creed, color or sex. Children with 'pichkaris' (big syringes to squirt colored water) and faces smeared with color look adorable. People exchange good wishes, sweets and gifts.

Holi parties are organized in the grounds where people dance to the rhythmic beats of the drums and sing Holi songs. Light snacks and milk-based cool drink known as 'Thandai' are often served in these parties that may be intoxicated with 'bhaang'. Also known as 'Phagwah', Holi is celebrated with colors to welcome the Spring season.

Celebrated in the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu calendar, 'Holi' is the thanksgiving festival of India, where people offer 'hola' or prayer to the Almighty for good harvest and a bountiful season. Holi has a theme of universal brotherhood and the holy bonfires that are burnt on the previous night remind us of the value of true faith and devotion in God. The romantic teasing of young hearts remind us of the love pranks of Radha and Krishna. Holi is one of the most boisterous festivals celebrated with full of zeal and enthusiasm.

Holi or Holikotsava is a festival that occurs around March and is celebrated over two days. On the evening of the first day bonfires are lit, normally in a public place. On the second day people throw coloured powder and water at each other. The first day is Holi proper, the second day is called Dhuleti or Rangapanchami (Ranga-colour, Panchami=fifth day). Rangapanchami was originally the fifth day as the festival was earlier spread over five days and so it was called Rangapanchami because in earlier times it was celebrated till the fifth day of the fortnight.

Holi Centers Around a Bonfire :

Holi is one of the few festivals that has yet to acquire the character of being a religious and private festival along with being a public occasion for rejoicing which all festivals are. Holi is almost totally a public festival and as such there is hardly any Holi celebrations inside private homes in the sense in which is understood. Holi is not only a purely public festival in the manner of its celebration but also in the manner in which people prepare for it.

Weeks before the arrival of Holi, gangs comb the neighbourhood and collect all waste-wood, old wooden furniture etc. which they can lay their hands upon. After weeks of preparation judiciously combined with activities that come close to pillaging, assorted pieces of wood are piled up to be lit on the evening of the festival day. (These days with Cable TV, the interest of the boys in urban India seems to be waning in the pre-holi preparations.