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Holi - Festival of colours and the festival of sharing love

Pure Indian Art
Mar 24, 2016
2 min read

Wishing everyone a happy Holi. As much as I love colours, I also like the festival of Holi with everyone celebrating and sharing the warmth, joy, love and happiness.

The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive.

Holi is a festival of colours celebrated all around India in different forms but with the same intensity of joy, togetherness and love.

Celebration

Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends & stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid.

The next day, people of all ages go into the streets for fun and paint-throwing. Everyone gets involved - with no distinctions between caste, class, age or gender.

Religious story

Holi also celebrates Krishna, and the legend of Holika and Prahlad. Some believe the origin of the festival lies with Krishna who was very mischievous as a young boy and threw coloured water over the gopis (milkmaids).

This developed into the practical jokes and games of Holi.

The story of Prahlad is seen to symbolise good overcoming evil and is why traditionally bonfires are lit at Holi.

Prahlad was a prince. His father, the king wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him. But Prahlad refused and worshipped Lord Vishnu instead. The king's sister Holika, who was supposed to be immune to fire, tricked her nephew Prahlad into sitting on her lap in a bonfire in order to destroy him. But because she was using her powers for evil, the plan failed and Prahlad emerged from the fire unharmed, while Holika was devoured by the flames.

In some parts of India effigies of Holika are burnt on the fire. Ashes from Holi bonfires are thought to bring good luck.

Holi Dishes

Different communities in India celebrate Holi by preparing Holi special food. The most popular and common of which is Thandai with the addition of Bhaang. Maharashtrains prefer Puran Poli. North Indians prepare Shakarpara and gujiyas - a sweet samosa filled with mava, coconut, dry fruits which is fried and dipped in a sugar syrup. Gujaratis make sweet khichidi and sweets like kheer, basundi and halva.

Gujiya