Spring has sprung! The Festival of Colors in India and Nepal - Happy Holi!

Every year, thousands of Hindus participate in the festival of Holi. The festival celebrates the beginning of the new season: Spring. Originally, it was a festival that commemorated good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colors and saying farewell to winter.  It is probably one of the most exhilarating festivals in India. During the festivities, there are bonfires and loads of people throwing colored powder or paint at one another. The modern day celebration is awesome.

The Legend: Holi is derived from Holika, and is considered a festival of victory of good over evil.

• There was once a demon king called Hiranyakashyap; he was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment, his own son, Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.
• Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son, but Lord Vishnu saved him each time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap.  Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a blessing; whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed. 
• Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that the blessing worked only when she entered the fire alone. 
• Prahlad, who kept chanting the Lord Naarayana all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion. 
• Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee. Furthermore, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

Celebration: 

Even today, people enact the scene of 'Holika's burning to ashes' every year to mark the victory of good over evil. 

• In several states of India, effigies of Holika are burnt in the huge bonfires that are lit. There is even a practice of hurling cow dungs into the fire and shouting obscenities at it as if at Holika. Then everywhere one hears shouts of 'Holi-hai! Holi-hai!'.
• On the last day of Holi, people take a little fire from the bonfire to their homes. It is believed that by following this custom their homes will be rendered pure and their bodies will be free from disease.
• There is also a tradition of cleaning homes (ie. Spring Cleaning), removing all dirty articles from around the house and burning them. 
• View an exquisite display of the festivities with this colorful video: Happy Holi 

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