Bright, colourful and cheerful, Holi is celebrated on the full
moon day in the month of phalgun and this festival welcomes the season of spring otherwise
known as vasant-ritu. In the springtime, flowers bloom radiantly displaying their splendid
colours.
According to a legendary story King Hiranyakashyapu had become exceedingly proud of
himself and he desired that other people think of him as God and worship him. However his
own son Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and he refused to obey his father.
Hiranyakashyapu made many attempts to kill his son, however when all his plans failed, he
called his sister Holika and asked Prahlad to sit in her lap on a burning pyre. Holika had
the been given a gift that she could never be burnt by fire, however after the pyre burnt
away, Holika was also burnt to ashes while Prahlad remain untouched and unharmed by the
dangerous flames. In order to symbolise the burning of the evil sister Holika, huge
bonfires are lit the on the day before Holi.
According to another legendary version, Holi is attributed as a festival to Lord Krishna
who used to play pranks with the gopis and shower flowers on them from the trees over in
which he used to hide. That is how the ritual of playing with colours originated.
Holi is celebrated with great gaiety. Coloured water is squirted from little water pistols
or pitchkaris on friends and passers-by. People eat mithai and drink thandai; they dance
and make merry on this joyful day, which celebrates the victory of good over evil. The
festival of Holi is also called as Rangpanchmi in certain parts of the country. Til
ladoos, gujjias, sanjoris, apari and kanji ke bade are the special edibles prepared on
this auspicious day.
