The full moon night
A bonfire in the middle of city
A shining bright morning
Buckets full of colorful water
No one spared from being drenched
Faces covered with the cheerful spirit of Holi
Holi, a festival of colors, is celebrated on a full moon day of Phalgun Month (March as per Gregorian calendar). One of the major festivals of India, Holi is filled with great enthusiasm and lots of colors.
Holi marks the arrival of the Spring Season. People enjoy the bright summer mornings and wear their colorful clothes. Farmers enjoy a good harvest and nature rejoices with us in all its colorful glory!
Holi, the most colorful festival of the country, has witnessed many legends. The legends that shows power of a true devotee, victory of good over evil andgives us many meaningful messages to cherish for our lives.
Prahlad was the son of the evil king Hiranyakashap, who commanded people to worship him over God. But, Prahlad was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to worship his father.Outraged by this mutiny, Hiranyakashap tried to kill Prahlad several times but Lord Vishnu saved him every time.
Finally, he asked his sister, Holika, to sit on the pyre with Prahlad. Holika was immune to fire because she had a boon, according to which, she could enter the fire unscathed.But, Holika was not aware of the fact that the boon will work only if she is alone. Holika was burnt to death but Prahlad, who was chanting the name of Lord Vishnu, was saved from it.Thus, Holi is celebrated as a festival of good over evil. It proves that a true devotee of God can never be harmed by any evil.
After the death of Sati, Lord Shiva was deeply saddened and he renounced his worldly duties, instead choosing to go into a deep meditation.This made all the Gods concerned, as it was generating many problems in the matters of the world. Meanwhile, Parvati started meditating to acquire Shiva as her husband. Gods asked Lord Kaamdeva, who is the God of love and passion, to bring Lord Shiva back to his original self. Kaamdeva, despite knowing the consequences, shoot an arrow on Lord Shiva. This made Shiva angry and he opened his third eye, reducing Kaamdeva to ashes.
However, the Gods were successful in bringing Lord Shiva back to his original self and he married Parvati. After some time, Rati, wife of Lord Kaamdeva, begged Lord Shiva to forgive her husband and revive him.Lord Shiva accepted it and everyone was happy in the end.
Young Krishna used to be very mischievous. As a child, he was very jealous of Radha's fair complexion.He went to his mother Yashoda and asked her about the injustice done to him. To pacify Krishna, His mother asked him to color Radha's face in the color he wanted.
In his mischievous mood, Krishna applied color on Radha's face making her look like him. Because of this, Holi is extended in Vrindavan and Mathura. Krishna followers enjoy the festival in a cheerful way,as it is considered to be an imitation of Krishna's Holi celebrations with gopis.
When Holi comes, it brings with it much joy and color and the age old phrase of 'HOLI HAI' is uttered by one and all!.
On the evening of Holi, it is tradition to light a bonfire in the name of Holika, as a symbol of good's victory over evil.
The next morning, the atmosphere is filled with much celebration and colors as people enjoy the arrival of spring.People throw gulaal and other colors in the air and make it a point to drench all their friends and relatives in the colorful dyes. Pichkaris and water balloons filled with colored water are thrown at everyone.The whole atmosphere is one of rejoice, and is filled with songs of Holi and much dancing.
Everyone enjoys mouth-watering dishes like Gujiya, Malpuas, Mathri, Puran Poli, Dahi Badas and glasses full of Thandai. Some even enjoy the intoxicating Bhaang. The evening is booked for visiting close friends and relatives to share the joyous occasion with loved ones and the exchange of sweets and gifts is a common sight.
It really is true that life turns colorful at Holi!
Holi is a festival to celebrate, to come together and enjoy with friends and loved ones. However, we should keep safety as a priority in all our celebrations. Here are a few ideas to not only keep you and your loved ones safe, but also to do your part in keeping our environment safe!
- Play a dry Holi - In this modern age, numerous cities and towns are facing problems of water scarcity.So, in order to save water for us and our next generation, try to minimize the misuse of water,and give a dry Holi a try this year!!!
- Bonfires - Another environmental and safety concern is the huge number of bonfires burnt on Holi every year. Not only do the fires lead to waste of huge amounts of wood, a limited resource, but the burning fuel also adds to the already escalating pollution problem.Another inherent problem is the fact that it is a fire, with the possibility of people who are not being careful and especially children getting into accidents. A good method to still follow traditions and have fun, would be to create big community based bonfires where all can enjoy and participate in the rituals while limiting the environmental consequences.
- Natural colors - A lot of the colors and rangs sold in the markets have numerous chemical substances that can be harmful to you and the environment.Some of these substances include lead oxide, copper sulphate, aluminium bromide, Prussian blue, mercury sulphite, etc. These chemicals can cause skin allergies, eye allergies, asthma, contact dermatitis and even skin cancer. So, try to not use artificial colors and find out what the ingredients are in whatever you choose to buy!
Bade Achhe Lagte Hain
Fan Fictions
Shiv Shakti
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