Hindu Festivals (7a)

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Dear friends and devotees,

 

Bhakti is eternal.

 

7a. Holi Festival.

 

There are many stories of the origin of the Holi festival. The most

widely held belief is that Holi marks the day when the devotee of

lord Vishnu, Bhakta Prahalad, seated on the lap of demoness Holika,

was saved from the effect of the fire by God and the demoness got

burnt instead. Other stories relate to the death of demon Putana at

the hands of Lord Krishna and to the burning of demoness Hoda by

children.

 

Origins of Holi †" Holikadahan

Prahalad was the son of King Hiranyakashyap. The egotistic

Hiranyakashyap did not believe in God; in fact he believed himself to

be all powerful, superior to the Almighty, and persecuted all those

who were engaged in spiritual activities. However, young Prahalad had

immense faith in Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap tried to dissuade his

son from praying to Lord Vishnu. When Prahalad refused, the king

resorted to various ruthless methods to kill his son. When all

methods failed, the king asked his sister Holika to help him. Holika

was blessed by Brahma and owned a blanket that could not be consumed

by fire. Holika covered herself with the blanket and then took

Prahalad on her lap and sat in a bonfire. For misusing the boon given

to her by Brahma, the blanket flew and covered Prahalad. Thus Holika

was burnt to ashes while Prahalad was saved. Since then people have

been playing with colours as they celebrate the triumph of good over

evil.

Holi is a harvest celebration marking the climax of spring. In the

spring season all the trees are filled with sweet-smelling flowers.

They all proclaim the glory and everlasting beauty of God. They

inspire us with hope, joy and a new life, and stir us on to seek the

creator and the Indweller, who is hiding Himself in these forms.

 

Bonfires are lit, marking both the end of winter and the death of

evil, and proceeds from the seasonal harvest - grains, coconuts etc.

offered to the flames. The next day, dhuleti or rang panchami

involves playing with colour, prayer, fasting and feasting. This day

is associated with Lord Krishna playing Holi. Songs sung on Holi

depict the pranks that Krishna played on the Gopis, and the latter,

with Him.

 

This day is further sanctified by the birth of Sri Chaitanya, the

16th century prophet of bhakti, who is popularly believed to be an

Incarnation of God. Indeed, even Sri Ramakrishna remarked that he had

been Sri Chaitanya in a former birth.

 

On the rang Panchmi day people sprinkle 'gulal' (red coloured powder)

on one another. Enemies become friends once more. HO-LEE means 'Jo ho

liya so ho liya' which means that 'allow bygones to be bygones'. Dry

sticks and cow dung are put into the Holika bonfire. Corn seeds are

burnt, until they lose their power to germinate. The idea is that one

must not allow the old seeds of dissent to take birth again but to

bury the hatchet once and for all. The burnt corn seeds are taken

home, and shown to the parents, and blessings taken from them. Maybe

it is to say ‘I have learned to forgive, forget and move on.'

 

All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic

elements in them. Every season has a festival of its own. Holi is the

great spring festival of India. Being an agricultural country,

India’s two big festivals come during the harvest time when the barns

and granaries of our farmers are full and they have reason to enjoy

the fruits of their hard labour. The harvest season is a festive

season all over the world. Man wants relaxation and change after hard

work. He needs to be cheered when he is depressed on account of work

and anxieties. Festivals like Holi supply him with the real food and

tonic to restore his cheer and peace of mind.

 

March 21st the Vernal Equinox

The sun crosses over the equator on March 20 or 21 every year when

day and night are approximately equal in length. This is the spring

or vernal equinox in the Northern Hemisphere. It marks the onset of

spring... heralds the season of growth, renewal,

regeneration...harvest, sowing seeds...

 

The vernal equinox has become a potent religious and cultural symbol

representing the triumph of good over evil. Just as the rising of the

physical Sun at the Equinox causes the rejuvenation of terrestrial

life, the appearance of these Spiritual Suns on Earth similarly

regenerates the spiritual nature of man.

 

Social, Religious and Spiritual Significance

Festivals like Holi have their own spiritual value. Apart from the

various amusements, they create faith in God if properly observed.

Hindu festivals always have a spiritual significance. They wean man

away from sensual pleasures and take him gradually to the spiritual

path and divine communion. People perform havan and offer the new

grains that are harvested to the gods before using them.

 

There should be worship of God, religious gatherings and Kirtan of

the Lord’s Names on such occasions, not merely the sprinkling of

coloured water and lighting of bonfires. These functions are to be

considered most sacred and spent in devotional prayers, visiting holy

places, bathing in sacred waters, and Satsang with great souls,

abundant charity. It is only then can Holi be said to have been

properly celebrated.

 

The religious element in the Holi festival consists of worship of

Krishna. In some places it is also called the Dol Yatra. The word dol

literally means “a swingâ€. An image of Sri Krishna as a babe is

placed in a little swing-cradle and decorated with flowers and

painted with coloured powders. The pure, innocent frolics of little

Krishna with the merry milkmaids (Gopis) of Brindavan are

commemorated. Devotees chant the Name of Krishna and sing Holi-songs

relating to the frolics of little Krishna with the Gopis.

The social element during Holi is the uniting or “embracing†of the

great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting

of equals. The festival teaches us to “let the dead bury the deadâ€.

We should forget the outgoing year’s ill-feelings and begin the new

year with feelings of love, sympathy, co-operation and equality with

all. We should try to feel this oneness or unity with the Self also.

 

Holi also means “sacrificeâ€. Burn all the impurities of the mind,

such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and

knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness,

truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is

the real spirit of Holi - to rise from the mire of stupidity and

absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity.

 

The call of Holi is to always keep ablaze the light of God-love

shining in our heart. Inner illumination is the real Holi. The spring

season is the manifestation of the Lord, according to the Bhagavad

Gita.

By Swamy Tadananda)

 

With love and regards,

 

Sastry.