Ancient Heritage and Living Traditions

Holi, Spring Festival of India

Holi is one of the most ancient festivals of Hinduism. It marks the end of winter and the revival of Nature with its colours, flowers, and the ever-symbolic triumph of good over evil. It is celebrated on the full moon day of February-March. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the day  preceding the full moon. This year it starts on 3rd of March. 

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People burn everything considered evil

The eve of Holi is called Holika Dahan, the burning of the demon Holika. People make bonfires and symbolically burn everything considered evil while remembering the story of the mythical Indian king Hiranyakashipu, who considered himself more powerful than the God Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu was powerful indeed, he even received a boon from the gods that neither a hand-held, nor a launched weapon could kill him. His unlimited pride and confidence made him demand his son, Prahlada, worship him instead of Vishnu. Prahlada didn’t obey him and remained a true devotee to Vishnu. The infuriated father asked his evil aunt, Holika to destroy Prahlada. Holika tried to burn his nephew but Vishnu interfered and saved Prahlada while Holika burnt to ashes. Vishnu then, in his incarnation of the half-lion, half-human Narasimha, eviscerated the king using lion claws, therefore killing him with neither a hand-held nor a launched weapon.

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Holi Colors

On the day of Holi people throw colourful powder at each other, pour coloured water from rooftops, and streets are crowded with people who dance and sing and feel free to do any mischief. In India, it's possible to behave outrageously. People throw paint at strangers, and soak anyone with coloured water using water pistols or huge syringes called ‘pichkari’. It is not the time to feel offended or be upset.

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Radha and Lord Krishna playing holi

The origin of the coloured water splashing goes back to the mythical times of India when Krishna and his friends living in Vrindavan used to tease the village girls by drenching them with coloured water. The girls lovingly engaged themselves in this play that in the course of time became the traditional way of celebrating the coming of spring in North India. In modern times whole cities turn green, red, pink, and blue during Holi festival, though the original colours used in ancient India must have been only yellow and red. The colour red undoubtedly represent fertility. It is the colour of the goddess Earth and the goddess of creation and the traditional bridal saree is also red for the same reason. Turmeric powder when mixed with the juice of the hill lemon of India called galgal gives a vermillion red paste which is used to mark the forehead and the parting of the hair of married women. When this powder is mixed with water it produces an orange-red coloured fluid. Another organic way to make orange dye is to gather the flowers of the 'tesu' tree, dry them in the sun, and then grind them up. In the last few years there has been much concern about the contents of the dye that people throw at each other.

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