Festive celebration of Holi.
'India is indeed the Homestead of Festivals,' as the saying goes. Indian festivals are like the jewels that adorn the Indian ethnicity's crown One such exquisite and unique festival of India is the festival of Holi. It is observed following the full moon in the month of 'Phalgun,' which comes between February and March each year. Holi is celebrated consecutively for two days.
The dawn of the Festive of Holi:
Holika Dahan or Choti Holi is observed on the first day. Holika, the demon goddess, is the inspiration for the Holi celebration. Lord Prahlad, a devout follower of Lord Vishnu, is central to the Holi mythology. Paradox of the Destiny played its role and Pralhad was born as the son to his Demon father Hiranya... Prahlad's devotion to Lord Vishnu was a source of contention for his father. Hiranyakashyapu attempted to kill his son multiple times as a result of this, but the Vishnu devotee escaped each time unharmed.
After numerous failed efforts, the demon king sought assistance from his sister, Holika, who had received a blessing from Lord Brahma that guaranteed she would never be burned by fire. As a result, the demon king ordered Prahlad to place himself on lap of Holika on a pyre (a structure usually made of wood, for burning a body as part of a funeral rite or execution). Holika was burned to death when the fire started, despite her fire immunity, while Prahlad was miraculously rescued when he prayed to Lord Vishnu for aid during the tragedy.
From Fable to Celebration:
Holika's burning is commemorated as Holi. Nevertheless there have been difference of opinions, that support the honouring of Holi and its origin. The narrative is told in a variety of ways, but the conclusion is always the same: "good triumphs over evil." On Holika Dahan, people light fires to purge themselves of ego, desire, greed, rage, and envy.
Even today, convene of people light wood and revivify the burning of Holika to perform their rituals around it. They pray to the deity for forgiveness and for the evil around them, inside them to kindle in the pure fire that is blazing throughout their worship.
The delightful festival of Holi that not only celebrates the triumph of good over evil, but also symbolises the end of the winter season and the arrival of spring. Holi is prominent amidst the Spring Season, which runs from the end of winter till the beginning of summer. Following the tradition when people perform Parikrama, the heat emerging through the bonfire eliminates the bacteria in your body and quells it.
This is the moment when people begin to feel lethargic. Due to the shift in temperature from cold to hot in the environment, it is natural for the body to experience some tardiness which is quite normal. People recite Phag, Jogira, etc. using Dhol, Manjira, and other traditional instruments to combat this indolence. The human body gets rejuvenated as a result of this.
Global Reach Of Holi:
Mauritius, Fiji, Guyana, Trinidad & Tobago, Pakistan, and the Philippines also rejoice Holi. Nepal has a whole week dedicated to the festival. They decorate a bamboo pole in bright colours a week before Holi and then burn it on Holika dahan. Every year, the event is embraced in a variety of ways across the world, and people find great solace and delight in enjoying it with their friends and family.
'Rang Panchami,' or the festival of colours.
Rang Panchami ("colour on the fifth") is a festival that occurs on Chaitra Krushnapaksh Panchami, which falls on the fifth day of Chaitara's second fortnight. To celebrate, people sprinkle fragrant red powder (Gulal) and splash coloured water on each other. It coincides with Holi, which takes place five days later. Instead of conventional colours, Dulendi is used in Rangpanchami rituals.
Philosophical Significance of Holi:
The Holi fire decomposes the raja-tama particles in the atmosphere, allowing a large number of Deities to be awakened in the form of colours. To celebrate this ecstasy, colours are tossed into the air. As a result, Rang Panchami is a symbol of raja-tama's defeat. It is a kind of worship for Gods in their visible form that comprises the invocation of Gods. Its purpose is to spark the five components of radiant manifest colours, as well as to touch and experience the Deities attracted to each colour. Based on the Jiva's spiritual sensation, these five components serve as a source for initiate the Deity's element. The veneration of the Deities' saviour form is known as Rang Panchami.
Rang Panchami is commemorated by hurling a crimson, perfumed powder (gulal) into the air and painting others with coloured water. There are a variety of ways to celebrate Rang Panchami and Holi.
Assam embraces Holi.
In Assam, Holi is known as Phagwah, which also means "festival of colours." Though all of Assam's local districts celebrate Holi in the same way, Barpeta is known for doing so in a very unique and alluring way. People from across the world visit Barpeta for the Doulutsava! Mathura Das Bura Ata is said to have been the first person in Barpeta to celebrate Doulutsava. Since then, Lord Krishna's devotees in Barpeta have continued to observe the Doul festival in the same satriyaparampara (traditional) way. People forget about their hardships, agonies, and sorrows during the DolJatra, another name for the Doul festival in Assam.
Manipur loves Holi.
In terms of how other states acknowledge Holi, it's amazing to see how Manipur celebrates the festival. The Festival begin’s on Phalguna's full moon day and extends for six days. It's also worth mentioning that when Vaishnavism arrived in Manipur in the seventeenth century, the centuries-old Yaosang festival blended with Holi. Besides, constructing a thatched hut out of hay, twigs, and sticks and then lighting it on fire is a tradition.
Thabal Chongba
This occasion is also connected to the 'Thabal Chongba,' a distinctive Manipuri dance. The words Chongba and Thabal both imply "dance" and "moonlight," respectively. In the past, this dance could only be performed with a drum or dholak, but currently it is performed with a variety of modern musical instruments.
Observing Holi in Rajasthan
In a similar way to Mathura, Rajasthan, a flourishing state, celebrates Holi. The night before the full moon, crowds gather to light enormous bonfires to burn the winter's dried leaves and twigs. People throw coloured water and powders (gulal and kumkum) at each other to rejoice. The delight of the celebration is enhanced by singing, dancing, and the traditional dhol rhythms.
Celebrations for the Royals
On this day, even the royals of Rajasthan dress up in festive costume and mingle with the commoners. In fact, royal palaces all throughout North India have renewed the festival into an art form. Rajasthani Rajput troops would show off their horsemanship at the event. Even today, Rajput soldiers gallop their steeds through the white and pink clouds of colour, hurling colour powders at one other. Even members of the royal families are susceptible to colour’s affects.
Conclusion:
The Holi festival has begun; as we have seen, Holi is enjoyed in a variety of ways, and it’s not just a festival of colours but also a celebration of life. On Holi one must make an effort to detach from past errors and refashion his journey in order to go forward with a fresh perspective and a spiritual lens. This event evokes everyone that the world is awash in colour, which manifests itself in the form of sentiments and emotions much as yellow is connected with vivacity and pleasure, pink with the sensation of affection and care, blue with vastness, so is Holi. Let Holi’s vivid colours bring joy, harmony, and love to all of our lives.
Thank you Readers.
Well compiled.