Devotees Meet To Sing Faag In Labasa
Holi, being the first festival for Hindu devotees this year, holds great significance, says Wailevu Gannayak Faag Mahila Mandal president Nirmala Devi.
During the group’s first faag programme at Wailevu in Labasa yesterday, Ms Devi advised her members to begin the new year with love.
“Holi celebrates fertility, colour, love and triumph of good over evil,” Ms Devi said.
“I have urged my 15 members while we sang faag together to forgive those who hurt them.”
Faag is a special Hindu song sung during this festival.
“We will be gathering every weekend till March 10 to mark Holi,” she said.
“Faag promotes unity, bringing women and children together to interact.”
For the four years since the formation of the group, she said the members have been singing faag.
She said the origins of the festival could be found in various myths in Hindu mythology, one of which tells the story of a demon Holika and her brother King Hiranyakashipu. “King Hiranyakashipu believed that everyone should worship him as a god,” she said.
“His son, Prahlada, refused to do so, opting to worship the Hindu god
Vishnu instead.
“Spurred by his son’s disobedience, the king and his sister Holika plotted to kill Prahlada.
“As part of their plans, Holika lured Prahlada onto a pyre in an attempt to burn him to death.
“While sitting on the pyre with Prahlada, Holika donned a magical shawl that protected her from the fire.
“However, as the pyre burned, the shawl flew from Holika’s shoulders onto Prahlada’s, resulting in the demon perishing in the flames. “Vishnu, the god whom Prahlada had chosen to worship instead of his father, then appeared.
“Taking the form of a half man and half lion, the god killed the treacherous king.”
Many women’s groups in Labasa have started singing faag from yesterday. Edited by Naisa Koroi