Importance of Holi festival
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Holi is an important festival of Hindus. The importance of the great Hindu festival is discussed below in points:
- Festival of Colours: People squirt coloured water on friendly passers-by and cook many types of sweets and food. Hence, it is also known as ‘Festival of Colours?. It is celebrated nearly for two to three days.
- It welcomes the spring season: It is celebrated during spring season that comes in February end or early March, as it welcomes spring season.
- Symbolic: In the evening preceding the colour festival, bonfires are lit where people gathers, dance and sing. These symbolize the burning of Holika and the destruction of Evil.
- Forgive others: On this day, people meet and repair any ruptured relationships, laugh, and play and forgive each other.
- Major festival for North Indians: It is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Rajasthan, and Delhi, especially in the northern parts of India.
- Caste distinction is abandoned: Holi is the only festival where caste distinction is abandoned. People forget the caste, class, or race of one another. As the clothes, face, and body of all these people are filled up with colours, nobody can distinguish between the rich and the poor. On this day, there are hugs and wishes everywhere. People hug each other and wish ‘Happy Holi?.
- Get together: After the colouring part, at evening, people dress themselves in good clothes and visits family and friends.
- Mythological Significance: There is an interesting story behind the celebration of Holi festival. Once upon a time, there was the king of demons named Hiranyakashyap. He had a son named Prahlad.
However, Hiranyakashyap wanted to take life of his son, as he was the greatest devotee of Hindu God Vishnu.
Holika, the sister of the Hiranyakashyap, had a magical robe, which has the power to save the wearer from burning. Therefore, he asked his sister and his son to sit on burning fire.
However, the result was not in favour of him. Holika was burnt to death and Prahlad came out alive. It proved that one cannot harm the person who has God as his savior. The next day is celebrated with colours.
The day is called ‘Holi? After the name of Holika, and it marks the victory of goodness over evil.
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Holi – The Festival of Colours
Holi is a festival of colours, joy and fun. It is one of the most popular festivals of India. It marks the beginning of a new season. The farmers begin to make preparations to reap their crops. Holi is celebrated on full moon-night of the Indian Calendar month of Phalguna.
Holi symbolises the dawn of a new era and victory of good over evil. It is named after Holika, the sister of king Hiranya-Kashyap, who was a non-believer in God. His son Prahalad was a devotee of God. His father Hiranya Kasha did not like the ways of his son and forbade him to remember God.
When he could not control the devotion of his son he tried to kill him. Ultimately he asked his sister to take Prahalad in her lap and sit on a burning pyre. In this Holika was 11 burnt but nothing happened to Prahalad. This is a popular legend, which is said to be the basis of the festival of Holi.
Holi is celebrated all over the country. In the previous night, bonfires are lighted. People worship, sing and dance around the bonfire. On the day of Holi, people assemble and visit their nears and dears. People embrace each other and forgive and forget any differences they might have had.
They play with colours and put gulal, red coloured powder, on the foreheads and faces of each other. Sweets are distributed. Noisy and colourful processions are taken out. People dance on the beat of drum. They share jokes, poetry, songs and enjoy music and dance. Children use colour filled balloons, buckets and water pumps to throw colours on others. It is a day filled with fun and frolic, colour’ and humour.
Sometimes this festival takes an ugly turn. It becomes a matter of irritation and fight when someone uses paint, mud, coal-tar, etc., in place of coloured water. Sometimes water balloons are thrown to hurt others, and boys misbehave with the girls or tease them. It becomes really worst when people drink liquor or take drugs and bhang and loose their control. It spoils the atmosphere of happiness, congeniality and dignity. Care should be taken to maintain the spirit and purpose of the festival. It should be the festival of enjoyment for all. One looses the fun, if it is at the cost of others.
