Festival of Holi

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HOLI

 

FULL MOON DAY OF PHAALGUNA

 

This is pre-eminently the spring festival of Bharat.

The trees are smiling with their sprout of tender

leaves and blooming flowers. With the harvest having

been completed and the winter also just ended, it is

pre-eminently a festival of mirth and merriment. Gulal

(colored powder) is sprinkled on each other by elders

and children, men and women, rich and poor alike. All

superficial social barriers are pulled down by the

all-round gaiety and laughter.

 

The day itself is associated with many interesting and

enlightening Puraanic legends. It is the day of

Kaamadahana, the burning of god Kaama - Cupid. The

virgin daughter of the king of Himaalayas, Paarvati,

was in deep penance to acquire the hand of Lord Shiva

as her spouse. But Shiva himself was lost in a deep

trance entirely oblivious of the outside world.

Kaamadeva came to the rescue of Paarvati and shot his

amorous arrows of love at Shiva. Shiva, disturbed from

his trance, opened his terrible Third Eye. The flames

of Shiva's wrath, leaping from his fore-head eye,

burnt Kaama to ashes and there after, Kaama became

spirit without a form. Shiva then looked towards

Paarvati and

fructified her penance by marrying her. It is this

burning of lustful infatuation by penance that is

signified in this festival.

 

Holi is also associated with the story of Holika, the

sister of demon Hiranyakashipu. The demon-father,

having failed in various other ways to make his son

Prahlaada denounce Lord Naaraayana, finally asked his

sister Holika to take Prahlaada in her lap and enter a

blazing fire. Holika, who had a boon to remain

unscathed by fire, did her brother's bidding. But lo,

Holika's boon ended by this act of supreme sin against

the Lord's devotee and was herself burnt to ashes and

Prahlaada came out unharmed.

 

One more legend pertains to another Holika, also known

as Pootana, who came as a charming woman to kill the

infant Sri Krishna by feeding him with her poisoned

breast. Sri Krishna, however, sucked by blood and she

lay dead in all her hideous form.

 

Such stories have effectively charged the popular mind

with the faith that ultimately the forces of divinity

shall triumph over the demonic forces. Symbolically, a

bonfire of Kaamadeva or Holika is made in every town

or village, attended by unbounded fun and frolic.

Games depicting the pranks of infant Krishna are also

played by boys singing and dancing around the fire.

 

 

 

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