Information AboutHoli |
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Holi (), or Holi also in Telugu is an annual and very popular Hindu Spring festival. It takes place over two days around late March or early April. As per the Hindu Calendar , it falls on the Phalgun Purnima (or Pooranmashi, Full Moon ). It is also called the Festival of Colour. , India .]] On the first day, a Bonfire is lit at night to signify burning Holika . On the second day, known as ''Dhulandi'', people go around until afternoon throwing coloured powder and water at each other, although the powder stings the eyes. A special drink called 'thandai' or Bhang is also consumed sometimes, which actually contains small amounts of Marijuana ('' Cannabis Sativa ''). People invite each other to their houses for feasts and celebrations later in the evening. Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours. This festival occurs at the onset of Spring . This period, during which the weather changes, is prone to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance as the coloured powders are made of Neem , Kumkum , Haldi , Bilva , and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors. In 2006 , the burning of Holika was on March 14 , and then Dhuleti on March 15 . SIGNIFICANCE depicting Krishna - Radha and Gopi s celebrating Holi]] In Hindu Mythology , Hiranyakashipu was the king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma , which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside; not on earth or on sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by ''astra'' nor by ''shastra''". Consequently, he grew arrogant, and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop worshipping Gods and start praying to him. Despite this, Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlad , was a devotee of Lord Vishnu . In spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. He was poisoned but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlad to sit on a Pyre on the lap of his sister, Holika, who could not die by fire by virtue of a shawl which would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. Prahlad readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as the shawl flew from Holika, who then was burnt to death, while Prahlad survived unharmed, after the shawl moved to cover him. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi. It is also said that later Lord Vishnu came in the form of a Narasimha (who is half-man and half-lion) and killed Hiranyakashipu at dusk (which was neither day nor night), on the steps of the porch of his house (which was neither inside the house nor outside) by restraining him on his lap (which is neither in the sky nor on the earth) and mauling him with his claws (which are neither ''astra'' nor ''shastra''). In Vrindavan and Mathura , where Lord Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna). Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized the festival by playing pranks on the Gopi s here. Krishna is believed to be complained to his mother about the contrast between his dark colour and his consort Radha's fair colour. Krishna's mother decided to apply colour to Radha's face. The celebrations officially usher in spring, the celebrated season of love. There is another story about the origin of holi. Kamadeva is a god of love. Kama's body was destroyed when he shot his weapon at Shiva in order to disrupt his penance and help Parvati to marry Shiva. Shiva then opened his third eye, the gaze of which was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the sake of Kama's wife Rati (passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image, representing the true emotional and mental state of love rather than physical lust. The Holi bonfire is believed to be celebrated in commeration of this event. EXTERNAL LINKS
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