# Difficult 49
The Raktha Pishachini
(The Blood stain on Holi)
Every year, during Holi, the village of Chandrapuri is cursed by the arrival of the Rakta Pishachini-a vengeful spirit that emerges when the festival's colours are thrown into the air.
The Rakta Pishachini is said to be the tormented spirit of an asura (demon), one who was betrayed and burned alive by a rival during Holi celebrations centuries ago. Instead of perishing, its spirit merged with the colors of the festival, feeding off the chaotic energy of the day. Now, it returns once a year to create a mess in the village.
The Raktapishachini has no physical form. Instead, it hides in the coloured powders of Holi. infecting those who come into contact with red or red shades.It possesses those who either play withy the red colour or wear red tinged costumes. Victims see terrifying hallucinations-friends tuming into monsters, loved ones attacking them-causing them to lash out. The more blood it spills, the stronger it gets.The blood mixed with Holi powders creates more cursed colors, spreading its possession.Wells and rivers run red, as if tainted with blood, on the morning of Holi.
A haunting laughter echoes through the village, mixed with the festival music. Some people report seeing a shadowy, limbless figure writhing within clouds of Holi powder. Victims of possession paint eerie patterns on their own faces in red before attacking others.
The Rakthapishachini can only be banished along with the holika dahan that happens the previous day of holi. Once the pishachini enters the holi day no one can stop it from creating bloodshed. If it remains on the day of holi, it disappears after ruining the festival and causing immense damage, only to return stronger the next year. To drive it away: A priest must mix pure saffron water on the colour pishachini enters to cease it from spreading. This saffron is available only in a town named jadhyal near Jammu. The possessed must be restrained and till the saffron is arranged must be continuosly kept under control with holy water made with basil leaf. People must abstain from using red colors until the spirit is banished. Once the saffron water is sprinkled pishachini looses its powers and comes totally under the control of the priest.
This made many flee from the village and the colourful holi festival became colourless for centuries. A boy named Adhokshaja with a mark of holy basil mark on his chest is eligible to get the saffron from the town Jadhyal. The previous year the Pishachini got few villagers under her control and made them kidnap Adhokshaja. The boy is blessed with divine power and cannot be destroyed by the pishachini.
Despite knowing the risks, some non believers refuse to give up red powders, shooing away the beliefs as mere superstition. This year, a group of reckless teenagers secretly collected last year's cursed colors-unaware that they're about to unleash a bloodbath. Unknowingly few days before Holi they go into a cave near the village to have a jolly good time. They come across a path covered with a huge rock. Being inquisitive they open it to find Adhokshaja. Adhokshaja is guarded by the people under trance and these boys release them. Adokshaja asks the boys to help them out and he will tell them interesting and unbelievable facts about the holi and the pishachini.
The boys release Adokshaja and he makes them belive how true the story of Raktha pishachini is. He challenges them to come with him so he can prove it. The boys agree to go with Adhokshaja first to jadhyal town to get saffron. The Jadhyal town is about 100kms from their Village and they reach there in their bikes, Adhokshaja successfully gets the saffron from the towns.
On the day of Holika Dahan the villagers worried about the history repeating hide themselves inside their house. The Pishachini's arrival is sensed by the villagers with changes in the village and bad omens around them. They arrange the sticks for Holika dahan with the belief that some miracle might happen this time Just as they arrange the sticks Adokshaja appears with red colours wearing a red costume. All the villagers get shocked and surprised looking at him. They ask him to keep the colour away but he wouldn't listen. The Priest understands at once the reason behind Adhokshaja's actions. Priest asks the villagers to calm down, and arranges to ward of the Pishachini for ever.
The Pishachini finally enters the red colour powder kept before the sticks and priest controls her with Basil water and does not allow it to come out. On seeing Adhokshaja the Pishachini realizes that she is going to be destroyed. It uses its entire power to come out of the red colour but before any damage is done Adokshaja takes out the saffron and mixes it in water and sprinkles it on the red colour powder and also the entire village. The priest then lights the holika and throws the red powder inside the fire. The fire turns red and the Raktha Pishachini raises up to the sky from the burning red colour and vanishes never to return.
The Villagers for the first time in thier lives celebrate Holi without any struggle and the festival of colours complete with the use of all colours including Red.
Edited by Amru4krish - 4 months ago
You have to play Holi with me this time okay? We will throw rainbows at each other...I mean rainbow colours...weeeeee
we will dance like Deepika and Ranbir did on 'Balam Pichkari'
You would even forget for the timebeing how embarassing our cricket team is lmao
Ya Allah, why my head is spinning
Financial markets and global economy
Ishaani
204