Holi is the festival of color which is celebrated every year in the month of Falgun (March) by the people of Hindu religion. It is also referred to as the festival of love and compassion as people celebrate Holi in various ways. Some play holi with Colors, Some with water and other with flowers. That’s why it is the happiest and most colorful religious festival of the Hindus. Holi festival makes the beginning of the spring season and celebrates on the last day of Phalgun.
H- Happiness of Life
O- Ocean of Colors
L- Language of Love
I- Integration with One Another
Holi is not only celebrated in India but it is also very popular and widely celebrated in other countries as well. In recent times, this festival has also gained acceptance among Non-Hindus.
History of Holi
There is a story behind the celebration of this Festival. There was a King named Hiranyakashipu, had a son, Prahlad and sister Holika. Prahlad is the devotee of Lord Vishnu. King Hiranyakashipu wanted to kill his son, so he strategized his son’s death with his sister. He gave some magic to his sister and wanted him to sit on a burning fire along with Prahlad. But the result was opposite, being devotee of
Lord Vishnu he was saved by the God and King’s sister Holika burnt to death. This story indicates the victory of virtue and goodness over evil.
This is the Day!!
People celebrate a day before holi with a bonfire indicating the death of Holika. After spending a full day with friends and relatives by exchanging sweets and greetings. The next day is totally devoted to the color, water, balloons, joy and happiness.
People start their day with the excitement of the way of celebrating this festival. People pre-prepared themselves with the essential things such as Gulal, Water Balloons and Sweets. Children get themselves ready with the pichkaris/water gun (it is a plastic toy through which water is throw on others). With the sunrise, they go out from their homes, makes groups, walk on the streets and start playing with their friends. In the same way People leave their home and celebrate this festival with their family members, neighbors and relatives. Some society arrange some programs, events and games to make this festival more interesting.
Holi Sweets, Drinks & Appetizers
The lady in the houses prepared different types of dishes like breadpakore, chole bhature, aloo puri but Gujiya is the most popular and demanded dish on Holi. As gujiya is popular among dishes in the same way Bhang is the popular drink of Holi. If you have seen any holi scene in bollywood movie then you can easily see people are drinking Bhang and throwing colors on the others with the songs
playing in the background.
" Colors, gujiyas and fun...I love Holi so much "
Ways of Celebration
As being celebrated in different parts of the country, the style of Celebrating is also different. People from Uttar Pradesh play holi with Laddos, on the other hand people from Barsana and Nandgaon play it in a hard way with Lath. In this type of holi celebration men throw water on the lady partners and the lady partners defend themselves by hitting them with laths. The lath mar holi brings some
tadka to this festival.
Holi in Pushkar and Vrindavan is popular for it different style. In pushkar and vrindavan people play Phoolon ki holi, where people use flowers instead of water and colors. Braj ki Holi is one of its kind experiences for its vibrant culture and people from all parts of the world come to be part of this beautiful festival.
At the end of the celebration of this festival people forget bitterness, enmity, hatred and created feelings of love and friendship. So come India and become the part of this beautiful holiday with us.
Wishing you Happy Holi !!
