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CULTURE & RELIGION
Holikotsava: Colourful jubilation
The idea of Holi. It's more than just a festival of colours
By Achyut Railkar
There are many stories about the festival. One from Narada Purana is of Bhakta (Devotee) Prahlad. King Hiranyakashyapu wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment his son Prahlad refused as he was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu.
THE great festival that is rejoiced by all especially by the young ones is Holi or Holika. It always falls on Phalgun Purnima based on lunar calendar. People enjoy Holi because it is considered victory of good over evil. It is extremely popular festival observed throughout the country by all sections of the people.
The festival is generally celebrated for two days commencing in the evening of full moon day and the next day. At some places, the festival is held till rangapanchami (fifth day from Holi day). People clean the surroundings for the public function of Holi and decorate with rangoli (design with white and coloured powder).
At few places like Mathura, the festival commences on Vasant Panchami (Magh Shuddha 5, almost 40 days earlier to Holi day. It marks the onset of Vasant ritu (spring season). Lord Krishna used to play Vasantotsava with gopis (cow-girls) in Mathura. The festival is also known as Vasant or Madan Paurnima and becomes the large attraction of tourists (local and foreigners).
In Bengal, it is Dol or Holi Purnima that is dedicated to Lord Vishnu. It is also the birthday celebration of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu, a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. In Nepal, it is named as Phagu. It is the largest festival in Bihar, UP, Assam and Orissa.
Few days before Holi, the ardent boys search the neighborhood areas for collecting logs of waste wood, old furniture, dry grass, cakes of cow-dung and fuel oil. The assorted pieces of these materials to be lit are piled up. Some dried old tree branches are erected to some height at the centre with garland of flowers. In rural places the Holi location is generally dug while in urban localities large round stones are arranged in circular boundary for Holi. At the specified auspicious evening time, the worshipper is asked to carry out puja with flowers, gulal, grains, coconuts and the bonfire is lit and fuel oil is poured. and he holds circumambulation and water for sprinkling around in a customary fashion.
The families desirous of holding puja may follow thereafter for praying and offerings of grains, coconuts and coins. The slogan ‘Holi re holi, puranachi poli, sahebachya potat bandukichi goli’ (enjoy Holi with sweets and shoot British) is shouted by many spectators. This was during pre-Independence era and the British sahib used to be treated as enemy or evil. Half-burnt coconuts are taken out and the coconut-kernel with jaggery is distributed as Prasad (sweet) among the spectators.
Some elders and young boys keep awake enjoying in the night. The snacks, milk, cold drinks, thandai and sometimes intoxicating bhangs are served. Some members’ loose balance, hold rowdy dances and shout bombas (babbling incorrigibly) that is Shimga with full zeal, enthusiasm and wild behaviour.
The next day is Dhulwad or Dhulivandan that is a public holiday and people under the guise of colours, without any distinction of caste, creed, age or sex play pichkaris (big syringes to squirt coloured water) and faces are smeared with colours. The coloured water is squirted on friends and passers-by. The members enjoying Holi should keep the balance if a female member is present. People exchange good wishes, sweets and gifts. Puran Poli, the favourite sweet dish is generally prepared everywhere in the Maharashtra during the Holi festival.
There are many stories about the festival. One from Narada Purana is of Bhakta (devotee) Prahlad. King Hiranyakashyapu wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment his son Prahlad refused as he was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. The King wanted to punish him; hence his sister Holika entered a bonfire with Prahlad in her lap. It was believed Holika had a boon whereby she could enter a blazing fire without any damage on herself. But she had forgotten that the boon would have worked only, had she entered the fire for any good deed. As a result Holika was burnt to ashes and Prahlad was saved by Lord Vishnu. Since then a bonfire is lit to burn the evils and the name of the festival became Holika.
Bhavishya Purana describes Holikotsava: During the reign of king Raghu Raja, people were tormented by the giantess Dhundha. To get rid of her, sage Vasistha advised people to terrorise her by burning fire at as many places as they could.
Another story is of demon Taraka. By a severe penance Taraka acquired a boon from Lord Brahma that he couldn’t be killed by anybody other than seven-day old child. With the power of the boon Taraka began oppressing Devas and hence Lord Indra, the king of Devas approached Brahma for a commander to destroy him. Brahma advised him that only offspring of Shiva could kill him. Indra sought help of Madana, the God of love who shot arrows at Shiva when he was in deep tapas (penance). Shiva was outraged and opened his third eye that burnt Madana to ashes. Madana’s wife Rati and all Devas pleaded whereby Shiva restored him from the ashes. Shiva and Parvati created a child Kartikeya or Shadanana who slew demon Taraka on his seventh day. Madana was burnt to ashes on Phalgun Purnima. Hence Holi or Agnidev is worshiped on the day.
The demon King Kansa, the brother of Devaki killed her seven children but missed the chance to kill her 8th child Krishna because his father Vasudev took him to a safe place to Yashoda at Gokul. Kansa hence ordered demoness Putana to destroy Krishna. She wore a gorgeous dress and ornaments and went to Yashoda’s place when she was entertaining along with her neighbours with the child Krishna. Putana dragged Krishna on her lap and aimed to kill him by coercing his neck. Krishna understood her wicked plans and killed the ferocious lady on the spot. All the neighbours threw her body in the Holi and burnt to ashes. Thus evil was destroyed in the Holi.
The Holi is a very prominent festivity all over the country. The word Holika or Holaka is from a Sanskrit word Holkah meaning half-cooked and parched corn. It is the festival celebrated at the approach of spring season. In Maharashtra Holi is the last fete of the year while elsewhere it is the first festival of the year as Vasantotsava commences during the days of Holi. It is also called Hutashani Purnima.
Holika festival is from the ancient times as oblation is offered to secret fire amidst chanting of Vedic mantras. It is mentioned in very early religious works such as Jaimini’s Purva Mimamvsa Sutras and Kataka Grahya Sutras as large festival of India by Muslim tourists Ul-Baruni and others. It was reported by some Muslim writers that Muslims also participated in this colourful festival.
A temple at Humpi that was the capital of Vijaynagar kingdom and many other places at Ahmadnagar, Mewad of medieval periods had carved joyous Holi pictorial scenes on the wall with Prince, princess and maids shown with pichkari for playing water spraying over each other.
The Holi festival fills colour in everybody’s life but people should take care while squirting coloured water or water-filled balloons over others as it may harm their eyes or skin. Edible colours that are skin-friendly made from herbal raw material (arrow root powder, flower petals, food colours and natural fragrances) should be used. The colours likely to be adulterated with diesel, chromium, iodine, engine oil and glass powder should never be used as it may cause nausea, headache and many other ailments.
(The author is a former ‘Project Management Consultant’ for local and abroad civil construction activities and can be contacted at 11, Sameepan, Bamanwada, Sahar, Vile Parle (E), Mumbai 400099; e-mail: )
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