the festival of colors a very popular hindu spring festival

8/14/2019 The Festival of Colors a Very Popular Hindu Spring Festival

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Holi

The Festival of Colors

A Very Popular Hindu Spring Festival

Celebrated in many countries.

Celebrated all over India

Many Flavors.


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When is it Celebrated ?

Celebrated on the Purnima of Hindu Lunar

Calendar Month of Phalgun

Purnmashi = Purnima = Punam = Full Moon Day

Later part of February or early March


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When did it Start ?

Very ancient tradition.

Mentioned in very early religious works such

as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-sutras,

Kathaka-grhya-sutras.

Existed several centuries BCE.

Vishnu Purana

Bhagvatam

Other Historical Scriptures


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Many Names of Holi

Vasanta Mahotsava The Great Festival of Vasanta (Spring)

- Most of the places

Kamotsva Associated with story of Kama (The God of love)Dolyatra Festival of Swings

- Eastern regions of India

Phagwah - A festival of Phagun (Last month of Hindu calendar)

- Many Countries and Northern regions IndiaRangapanchami The colourful fifth day of Chaitra (First

month of Hindu Lunar Calendar)

- Many regions of India

Holi Most common name


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Celebration over Several Days

Some Regions Over 2 days

Some Regions Over 5 days


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Story of Holika

Hiranyakashipu - A tyrant the demon king

Penance - Hiranyakashipu had a very long and severe penance

Boon by Brahma - Made him almost impossible to be killed. He was not be killed

During day time or night

Inside a house or outside a house

Not on earth or in sky

Neither by a man nor by an animal

Neither with an astra(long range weapons) nor with ashastra(short

range weapons)

Prahalad - Hiranyakashipu's son was a great devotee ofLord Vishnu.Holika A wicked sister of Hiranyakashipu had boon not to be burnt in fire.

Holika sat with Prahalad in fire. Prahalad came out unhurt and Holika tuned

into ashes.

Bonfire - Is lit at night to signify burning of Holika, a symbol of evil.

Celebration of victory of good over evil.


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Significance of Holika

Holika - A symbol of evil.

Collection of trash from houses collected during fall season

of for several days till Purnima.

Going round (pradakshina) the pire of woods/trash with

water to contain evil qualities within limits.

Burning the Neem leaves Burning the bitterness of life and

taking up the sweatened medicinal value of Neem.

Welcoming the Spring season with the bonfire.


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Holika Dahan - Bonfire


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Kama Mahotsava

Kama Dev - The god of love.Arrow of Kama Kama fired his arrow of love at

Lord Shiva to break his penance and help

Parvati marry him.

Kama's body - Burnt to ashes by the gaze ofShiva

Rati Wife of Kama

For the sake of Rati (passion), Shiva resurrected

Kama, but only as a astral form, representingthe true emotional state of love rather than

physical lust.

Holi - Celebrated in commemoration of the

resurrection Kama Dev as the festival of colors.


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Dhulandi

Second day is celebrated in most part of India. People go around until afternoon sprinkling Gulal

(colored powder) and water at each other.

A special drink is prepared called thandai whichcan be laced with bhang (mild intoxicant)

At noon, the craziness comes to an end and

everyone heads to either the river, the bathtub or

swimming pool.

People invite each other to their houses forfeasts

and celebrations later in the evening


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Children Celebrating Holi in USA


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Dhulandi

Called Dhuleti in central India

Called Dhulavad in Maharashtra (western India)

Called Dhul-mati in northern region of India.

Ash from the previous night Holika is smeared onthe body, and ritual bath is taken in the later

part of the day in some regions.

In some regions Dhulandi is played in first half ofthe day, second half color powered and

colored water are sprinkled on each other and

evening Abir is smeared on the forehead.


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Rangapanchami

Rangapanchami occurs

five days later onPanchami (fifth day after

the Poornamashi/full

moon), marking the endof festivities of colors.


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Gulal and Colored Powders


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Medical Significance

The festival occurs at the onset ofSpring.

Weather change,

Prone to cause viral fever and cold.

Gulal (Colored Powder) - Made ofmedicinal

plants like

Neem Azidaricta Indica

Kumkum Colored TurmericHaldi - Turmeric

Bilva Fruit bearing medicinal tree


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Celebration in Vrindavan

Vrindavan A city in India where Lord Krishna grew up

The Festival - Celebrated for 16 days until Rangpanchmi in

Holy memory of the divine love ofRadha-Krishna.

Popularity - Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized thefestival by playing pranks on the Gopis.

Dark Complexion of Krishna - Krishna used to be complain

to his mother about the contrast between his dark

color and his consort Radha's fair color.

Color on Radhas Face - Krishna's mother decided to apply

colour to Radha's face. The celebrations officially

usher in spring, the season of love.

Since ages Holi is the most popular festival of Vrindavan.


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Krishna Celebrating HoliA painting of Rajsthani style at the Smithsonian Institute, USA


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Holi in Mathura

Holi was also the name of a female demon

Putana who tried to Krishna, by feeding him

poisoned nipples to suckle. The miracle babyKrishna sucked so intensely that he drained the

she demon of her life. She was burnt on the

pyre next day.

It is one of the major celebrations in Mathura.


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Economic Significance

A Festival to Celebrate Good Harvest

and Fertility of Land

New Seasonal Crop comes home during

spring.

A Festival of Farmers

India was a land of farmers/villagers

Importance for business community as new

purchases are made on this occasion.


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Social Significance

Gathering of people from different sections of society

irrespective of their social and economic status

Coming together of males and females to sprinkle

colors on each other Enacting divine love of Radha-Krishna

Forgiving enmities and shed differences

Teenagers spend the day celebrating in the streets

Adults extend the hand of peace and friendship People enjoy sprinkling abir, gulal and colored

water on each other

Distribution of sweets and having feast together.

Family Get-Together


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Invincible Dhundhi

In the ancient time, during the reign of very first king, Prithu,

there was a terrible ogress called Dhundhi. She had

performed severe penances and had won several boons

from the deities that made her almost invincible. She loved

to devour children. However, due to a curse of Lord Shiva,she was not so immune to the pranks and abuses of young

boys. One day, the courageous boys of the village decided

to get rid of her forever. They got intoxicated on bhaang and

drunk and then followed Dhundhi beyond the boundary ofthe village, beating drums, making loud noise, shouting

obscenities and hurling insults at her and continued doing

this until she left the village for good. This is the reason that

even today young boys are allowed to indulge themselves

in rowdiness, using rude words and intoxication on Holi.


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Dolapurnima or Dolayatra

Instead of the exuberant and joyous celebrations that are witnessed

elsewhere, Bengal observes this festival in a quiet and dignified

manner as Dolapurnima or Dolayatra (the festival of the swing). The

festival, said to have been initiated by the king Indradyumn inVrindavan. It is spread over 3 or 5 days, starting from the sukla

Chaturdasi(14th) of Phalguna month. A celebration in honor of Agni

(The Fire God) and worship of Govinda (Krishna) in image on a swing

are the important features. The fire kindled on the first day is to be

preserved till the last day. The swing is to be rocked 21 times at theend of the festival.

The day is also celebrated as the birthday of the great poet saint, Sri

Krishna Chaitanya (A.D. 1486-1533), in Bengal, Orissa, Mathura and

Vrindavan.

the festival of the swing

The Festival of Swings


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Celebration in Pusti-Marga Temples

Pushti-Marga temples, spread throughout North and

Western States of India, celebrate the festival in a way

reminiscent of rajput courts. The Deity are liberally

sprinkled with perfumes, saffron water, kesudo, and

covered in sandalwood as well as the white and pink

powder, abir and gulal. Joyous celebration isaccompanied by classical music, poetry and folk songs

appropriate for the occasion. Deity's white clothes' are

soon transformed into a mass of color as gold and silver

syringes spray colorful water on all participants. Thecelebrations officially usher in the pleasant season of

love, spring. In the Pushti-Marga temples, the festivities

last for almost a month. Beginning on the day of Vasant-

Panchami, the festivals last till the day after Holi. This

helps to prolong the season of divine love and joy.


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Other Regional Celebrations

Tribesmen in central India celebrate in

old traditional ways.

In the towns of Rajasthan - EspeciallyJaisalmer - the music's great, and

clouds of pink, green, and turquoise

powder fill the air.

the festival of colors a very popular hindu spring festival

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