Holi is a festival celebrated by Hindus and Sikhs and it marks the arrival of spring season. Also known as festival of colours, Holi is observed on the full-moon day of Phalguna month. Originally this festival was celebrated to welcome the spring season.
There are also many legends associated with Holi. One such legend is associated with demon king Hiranyakashyap. Due to a boon given to the demon king Hiranyakashyap by Lord Brahma it was not possible to kill him.
He became powerful and arrogant and demanded that people start worshipping him and not the gods. However his own son Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu.
This perturbed the demon king and he made several attempts to kill his son but was not successful. He then ordered his son to sit on the pyre on the lap of his sister Holika who had a boon that she was would be immune to fire, but she was unaware that this boon worked only when she entered fire alone.
So holika was burnt to death and Prahlad survived unscathed by the fire, thus Holi originated by the burning of Holika which signifies victory of good over evil. Even today people light up huge bonfires on the full moon night as a symbolic representation of this event.
Another legend says that Holi originated when Krishna started playing with colours with Radha and gopis. This then became a trend, and this signifies the immortal of love between Radha and Krishna.
Another popular belief associated with this day is that it is on this day that Lord Kamdev god of love was destroyed when lord Shiva. According to legends Lord Kamdev sacrificed his life trying to revoke lord Shiva from opened his third eye. People celebrate this day to commemorate lord Kamadev's sacrifice who was burnt to ashes for breaking lord Shiva's meditation his deep meditation in order to help Parvati marry lord Shiva.
How is Holi Celebrated in India
Holi is a festival that is celebrated at the end of winter season and onset of spring. The nature is filled with vibrant colours and people celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm.
Holi is celebrated for two days. On the eve of Holi in the night people sing and dance around the huge bonfires that are lit. The next day is the day to have fun, people come out on the streets and smear coloured powder or gulal on each other and spray coloured water with pichkaris.
The celebrations of the festival go on for about a week in Mathura Vrindavan which are places associated with Krishna’s birth and childhood.
Holi is celebrated with lot of zeal and fervour. Special pujas are held in temples on this day. At Barsana lathmaar Holi id very famous where women of Barsana give a tough time to men of Nandgaon as they come to play Holi with them and beat then with sticks.
Various sweets are prepared and eaten on this day. Thandai laced with bhang is also an intrinsic part of the Holi festivity. Holi is celebrated in different ways in different regions of the country. But the essence and the spirit of Holi is the same.