Holi: A Joyful, Spiritual and Colorful Festival
Holi is not only a religious but a cultural festival; this festival is a unique opportunity to share happiness, love and positivity. The biggest quality of our culture is that all the festivals celebrated here enhance the love, unity and goodwill among the people by establishing human qualities in the society. The spirit behind all the festivals celebrated here is to provide prosperity to human dignity. Holi has a special message that just as nature is full of colours, life should also be full of colours. The colours of life should be such that deep reverence in God along with oneself. Holi is a perfect festival in terms of purity associated with any festival. It is a unique festival which not only associates the body, but also the soul. Holi is a festival of happiness. The happiness in us is also the colour of our soul.
In fact, Holi is the festival of fun and laughter. The most famous story about this festival is also in relation to Prahlada and Holika. Naradapurana states that Prahlada, the son of a demon named Hiranyakashipu, was an exclusive Hari-bhakta, while Hiranyakashipu considered Narayana to be his ultimate enemy. There was also a severe punishment system for chanting the name of Narayana or Srihari in his kingdom. Seeing his son as a Hari-bhakta, he warned many times, but a supreme devotee like Prahlada was always absorbed in piety. His father tried to kill him several times by taking various measures. But, he survived every time by the grace of Narayana. Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, had the boon of not burning in the fire. So she entered the fire with her nephew Prahlad in her lap. But by the grace of God, Prahlada came out alive and Holika was burned. The festival of Holi signifies 'Victory of Truth over untruth and 'Victory of Virtue over Misconduct'. In this way, the festival of Holi also symbolizes the victory of truth, justice, devotion and faith and the destruction of injustice, sin and demonic practices.
Holi is a festival that breaks all our limits and unites us. That is why we colour each other and say, May your life also be full of colours. Apart from the euphoria of colours, there are many other mythological stories to celebrate the festival of Holi. In North East India, Holika dahan is celebrated as the slaughter day of demonic Putna by Lord Krishna, is celebrated as Putna Daah, then in South India it is believed that on this day Lord Shiva consumed the third eye shell of Kamadeva and he danced the ashes on his body. Thereafter, Lord Shiva revived Kamdev, being moved by the grief of Kamadeva's wife Rati, which pleased the gods and showered them with colours. For this reason, on the eve of Holi, fire is ignited in South India and sugarcane, mango blossom and sandalwood are added to it. Here, sugarcane symbolizes the bow of Cupid, mango blossom of Cupid, the burning of Cupid by the burning fire Shiva and the chanting of sandalwood to calm Kamdev for burning with fire.
Many cultural and public related programs are held to celebrate Holi. The events of Holi in metropolitan culture have given Holi a new zeal and enthusiasm. In these events, there are cultural programs to play songs in a very polite manner. Ghoomar which is a Rajasthani event associated with Holi, people get excited about it. Delicious food items with sandalwood tilak and refresher drinks give this festival a dignified image. In late night ghoomar, dandiya dance and singing troupes from different regions enhance their fun and joy as the night progresses through their performances. Today, due to the deformity of the Pollutions and anti environment, the entire environment has become polluted and fearful; all the colours of life have fallen.