Holi

Holi Re
Re
Holi… Holi…

-ShruthiV
Holi (Holaka or Phagwa) - the festival of colors -
is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of
Hindu festival. It's an occasion that brings in
unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music
and dance, and, of course, lots of bright colors!

•Every year it is celebrated on the day after the full

moon in early March and glorifies good harvest and
fertility of the land.
•It is also time for spring harvest. The new crop refills
the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance
accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi. This also
explains the other names of this celebration - 'Vasant
Mahotsava' and 'Kama Mahotsava'.
 The Festive License!

Women, especially, enjoy the

freedom of relaxed rules and
sometimes join in the
merriment rather
aggressively.
There are at least
three legends that are
directly associated
with the festival of
colors:
The Holika-Prahlad Episode 

Legend has it that it derives its name from Holika, the sister of the
mythical megalomaniac king Hiranyakashipu who commanded
everyone to worship him. But his little son Prahlad refused to do so.
Instead he became a devotee of Vishnu, the Hindu God.
Hiranyakashipu ordered his sister Holika to kill Prahlad and she,
possessing the power to walk through fire unharmed, picked up the
child and walked into a fire with him. Prahlad, however, chanted the
names of God and was saved from the fire. Holika perished because
she did not know that her powers were only effective if she entered
the fire alone.
This myth has a strong association with the festival of Holi .

Fig: Holika and

Prahalad
 The Story of Dhundhi 

It was also on this day that an ogress called Dhundhi, who was
troubling the children in the kingdom of Prthu was chased away
by the shouts and pranks of village youngsters.
Although this female monster had secured several boons that
made her almost invincible, shouts, abuses and pranks of boys
was a chink in the armor for Dhundi, owing to a curse from Lord
Shiva.
The Kamadeva Myth 

It is often believed that it was on this

day that Lord Shiva opened his third eye
and incinerated Kamadeva, the god of
love, to death.

Fig: Lord Shiva

incinerated Kamadeva
Radha-Krishna Legend 

Holi is also celebrated in memory of the

immortal love of Lord Krishna and
Radha. The young Krishna would
complain to his mother Yashoda about
why Radha was so fair and he so dark.
Yashoda advised him to apply colour on
Radha's face and see how her
complexion would change.

Fig: Radha Krishna

with holi colors.
if you wanna know how
to celebrate the
festival of colors to the
fullest through the
whole length of three
days, here's a primer.
 Holi – Day1

The day of the full moon (Holi Purnima) is

the first day of Holi. A platter ('thali') is
arranged with colored powders, and
colored water is placed in a small brass
pot ('lota'). The eldest male member of
the family begins the festivities by
sprinkling colors on each member of the
family, and the youngsters follow.
 Holi – Day2

On the second day of the festival called

'Puno', images of Holika are burnt in
keeping with the legend of Prahlad and
his devotion to lord Vishnu. In rural India,
the evening is celebrated by lighting
huge bonfires as part of the community
celebration when people gather near the
fire to fill the air with folk songs and
dances.
 Holi – Day3

The most boisterous and the final day of

the festival is called 'Parva', when
children, youth, men and women visit each
other's homes and colored powders called
'aabir' and 'gulal' are thrown into the air
and smeared on each other's faces and
bodies. 'Pichkaris' and water balloons are
filled with colors and spurted onto people.
 This is how I
celebrated…., rang barse
e e g e chun ar w ali
r s e b h
Rang ba

Are kaine ma
ar i pichkaari to
ri bheegi ang
iya O

ra n g ra sia, ho
ia
Rangras
Rang
bars barse bh
e ... eege
chun
ar w
ali, r
ang

Can anyone of you recognize

me???
Thank
You