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Celebrations

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Description and comparative analysis of the celebrations of different religions and confessions

Celebrations

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7.2.2. Holi
Holi was originally a spring festival of fertility and harvest. Now it also marks some Hindu legends, which provide some of the ingredients for the celebrations.

Holi is an ancient festival which is referred to in the 7th century Sanskrit drama, Ratnaval.

The Legend of Prahalad and Holika
This is the main Holi legend. Holika was a female demon, and the sister of Hiranyakashyap, the demon king. Hiranyakashyap considered himself ruler of the Universe, and higher than all the gods. Prahalad was the king's son. His father hated him because Prahalad was a faithful devotee of the god Vishnu.

One day the king asked him "Who is the greatest, God or I?"

"God is," said the son, "you are only a king."

The king was furious and decided to murder his son. But the king's attempts at murder didn't work too well. Prahalad survived being thrown over a cliff, being trampled by elephants, bitten by snakes, and attacked by soldiers. So the king asked his sister, Holika, to kill the boy. Holika seized Prahalad and sat in the middle of a fire with the boy on her lap. Holika had been given a magic power by the gods that made her immune to fire, so she thought this was a pretty good plan, and Prahalad would burn to death while she remained cool. But it's never wise to take gods' gifts for granted! Because Holika was using her gift to do something evil, her power vanished and she was burned to ashes. Prahalad stayed true to his God, Vishnu, and sat praying in the lap of his demon aunt. Vishnu protected him, and Prahalad survived. Shortly afterwards, Vishnu killed King Hiranyakashyap and Prahad ruled as a wise king in his father's place. The moral of the story is that good always wins over evil, and those who seek to torment the faithful will be destroyed.

To celebrate the story, large bonfires are burned during Holi. In many parts of India, a dummy of Holika is burned on the fire.

Known as the festival of Colours Holi is the Hindu festival that welcomes the Spring and celebrates the new life and energy of the season. Although Holi has religious roots, not much religious activity is involved in its celebration. Holi is the most energetic Indian festival, filled with fun and good humour; even the strict rules of separation between castes are abandoned. Holi is also called 'The Festival of Colours', and people celebrate the festival by smearing each other with paint, and throwing coloured powder and dye around in an atmosphere of great good humour. Holi is seen by some as the Hindu festival that is nearest in spirit to St. Valentine's Day.

Holi is A spring festival, usually celebrated in March. It also celebrates Krishna, and the legend of Holika and Prahalad. Although Holi has religious roots there are few religious things to do. Holi is a very exuberant festival, with dancing, singing, and throwing of paint. Bonfires are lit during the evening of the full moon and food offerings are roasted. These bonfires not only purify the air of evil spirits, but mark the story of Holika and Prahalad. The festival is then officially celebrated on the day after full moon during the month of Phalunga, which falls in February-March. With people of all ages going into the streets to celebrate by throwing coloured paint.
Pictures

Picture that depict the paint throwing aspect of the Holy day and the joy of the participants and how all ages are involved.

Picture that depict the paint throwing aspect of the Holy day and the joy of the participants and how all ages are involved.

Videos

Holi – A video showing Holi celebrations in India

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This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This web site reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.