|
Holi
 Holi is an amazing festival of colours, and celebrated with great intensity. It’s one of the most admired festivals and celebrated during the spring season. Holi exhibits all the festivity, vigour and high spirits of the lovely season of spring, and delights the young hearts across India. Smearing faces in various colours, dancing youths on customary Holi songs, chasing, running, screaming etc are just few of the common sights we all see on the Holi’s day all over India. Rhythmic drum beats and wild processions are seen almost every nook and corner of India.
The festival though has been linked to many tales and legends, but the tale of Hollika is rated as the most trustworthy for celebrating the Holi. If the mythological legends of India are to be believed, a demon and autocrat king Hiranyakashipu expected everyone to pray him instead of God. He was against Lord Vishnu, but not his little son Prahlad, who kept worshipping the almighty Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God. Fumed by the moves of his son, Hiranyakashipu made several attempts to kill him, but the Lord Vishnu saved him on several occasions. One of the sisters of the king named Holika also followed the wishes of Prahlad, and was burnt to ashes while saving the life of Prahlad.
Thus, all the events started the celebration of Holi as the festival of the conquest of good over evil. The Hindus lit bonfires the night before Holi to remember Holika. Holi is really a great festival as it offers
farmers and rural an opportunity to make merry with the affluence and profusion of the harvest season. The festival is celebrated vigorously on the day after the full moon in early March or April every year.
People adore smearing each other's faces with 'Gulal' and 'Abeer'(colored powder) and superbly follow the inherent rituals and traditions of the great India. Hindus even wait eagerly for Holi each year to exhibit their joy and happiness with others. Natural herbal colours have taken over the scene with more fragrance and good for skin motto. Folk songs, dances, large gatherings, dishes preparation and new dresses take Holi to another level. The 'Bhaang' (opium) drinks are gulped down by the people. The great aspect about the Holi is its secular tendency, and the festival is loved by all for its secular flavour.
|
