| Holi |
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Special
Holi Cards
The tender green leaves on the trees, the blossomed flowers in the gardens
and the sweet calls of the Cuckoo mark the advent of a new season that is
Spring(vasant). Enriching the freshness is the festival of Holi with a
splurge of colors and an aura of romance all around.
Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. It is a
festival that breathes an atmosphere of social merriment. People bury their
hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind. Every
nook and corner presents a typically colorful sight.
Young and old alike are drenched with colors (red, green, yellow, blue,
black and silver). On Holi, people are suddenly caught unawares with colors
being poured from atop the houses, bursting balloons, or long pistons
squirting colored water. People in small groups are seen singing, dancing
and throwing colors on each other.
Holi has long traditional links with several legends. According to one
popular legend, the word Holi is derived from the demoness, Holika. She was
the sister of Hiranyakashyap, a demon king, who having defeated the Gods,
proclaimed his own supremacy over everyone else in the Universe. Enraged
over his son, Prahlad's ardent devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashyap
decides to punish him. He takes the help of his sister, Holika, who is
immune to any damage from fire. Holika carries Prahlad into the fire but a
divine intervention destroys her and saves Prahlad from getting burned.
Thus Holi is celebrated to mark the burning of the evil Holika. It is a
celebration of the triumph of good over evil.
Holi is celebrated throughout India but it is more predominant in North
India. Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are given a
fresh coat of color, beautiful floral designs are drawn at the entrance,
and powdered colors and spraying pistons are bought.
In earlier days the colors were extracted from a flower that blossoms only
during this festival. And the pistons were made of bamboo sticks. But over
the years colors are made artificially and pistons made of different
materials are available in various designs.
Usually people burn the Holika tree on the eve of Holi. Folklore and dances
are performed around the fire to welcome the new season. On the morning of
Holi, people have fun with colored water. Men, women and children all
participate in this merry making. In the evening, youngsters play with dry
colors and seek elders' blessings.
Special dishes for the occasion is a typical fare. People visit each
other's houses and savor the delicious eats, be it Dahl Wada or a
preparation of raw Jackfruit or the traditional Malpua (a dessert made of
maida, milk, sugar and dry fruits). Holi is as important a festival as
Dasara and Deepavali. It is also distinguished in certain regions like
Bengal where it is marked by performances of Dolothsava in which the image
of Lord Vishnu is swayed in decorated swings and colored powder is offered
to the God.
Holi is celebrated with special importance in Mathura. It solemnizes
the
love of Radha and Krishna. The spraying of colored waters recalls the love
sport of the Gopikaas and Lord Krishna.
In South India, Holi is not celebrated with as much fervor as in North
India. But the spirit of communal harmony is very high. People indulge in
merry-making, and playing with colored waters is a common sight. The
peasants/laborers go around from house to house singing folklores and
asking for small tips.
The color, noise and entertainment that accompanies the celebration of Holi
bears witness to a feeling of oneness and sense of brother-hood. No other
festival brings home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony as well as
the festival of Holi!!
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