Festivals and Fairs in India
- Colourful festival celebrating the arrival of Spring
- Vital celebration for the Indian way of life
The mighty king Hiranyakashyapu in his stupendous ego ordered his people to worship him as god. His son Prahlad defying his father's orders continued his worship of Lord Vishnu. The king sent his sister Holika, who possessed the boon of never being burnt by fire, to destroy Prahlad. She cajoled the young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. But Holika was devoured by the flames and Prahlad walked out of the fire unscathed and alive. Perhaps this festival got its name from this incident.
In north India and Uttar Pradesh, this victory is celebrated, effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that are lit.
In Bengal this festival is known by the name of Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima. On this day the idol of Mahaprabhu Chaitanya, placed in a pictursuqely decorated palanquin is taken around the main streets of the city. The head of the Bengali family observes fast and prays to Lord Krishna and Agnidev. After all the traditional rituals are over, he smears Krishna's idol with gulal and offers "bhog" to both Krishna and Agnidev.
In places like Mathura and Vrindawan where Krishna cult flourished and is followed even to-day, this Holi festival is celebrated with songs, music, plays and dances and of course coloured waters are thrown on each other. The men-folk of Nandagaon and the women-folk of Barsana come together and play the game of "Huranga" in which men abuse women and in retaliation women beat them with sticks that the men try to avoid with their shields.
On the eve of Holi, huge bonfires are lit with logs of wood, basketful of cow dung cakes, clarified butter, honey and the new crop brought fresh from the fields. When the fire leaps up in high and strong flames all those present, walk around the bonfire seven times, pray and invoke the blessings of Agnidev. Women prepare delicious sweets and put in the bonfire as "Naivedya" to Agnidev. When the fire lies down, water is splashed on the embers and the ash from the extinguished fire is applied on the forehead by everyone. Some of the ash is preserved in the house all through the year to apply to the foreheads of children as an effective remedy against any impending evil.
This festival of Holi - a festival of myriad colours, of gaiety, of friendships and re-unions all over the country. Thus Holi is certainly a vital part of our Indian life and culture in which religion still is a living force.
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