Why Holi is Celebrated in India – Everything You Need to Know

why celebrated holi

Holi is a famous festival that is celebrated in every part of India. Story about holi color is a celebration of the victory of good over evil

What is Holi?

why celebrate holi. Holi has been celebrate for centuries on the Indian subcontinent, with poems documenting celebrations dating back to the 4th century AD. Story about Holi It marks the beginning of spring after a long winter, a symbol of the triumph of good over evil. It is celebrate in March, corresponding to the month of the Hindu calendar of Phalguna.

There are several accounts of the origin of Holi mentioned in various works of ancient Indian literature. Story about Holi  According to a popular version of the story, an evil king became so powerful that he forced his subjects to worship him as their god. Story about Holi But to the anger of the king, his son Prahlada remained an ardent devotee of the Hindu deity Lord Vishnu. The angry king conspired with his sister, Holika, to kill their son. Holika, who was immune to fire, convinced Prahlada to sit on a pyre with her. When the pyre was lit, the boy’s devotion to Lord Vishnu helped him escape unscathed while Holika, after which the festival takes its name, was burned to death despite her immunity.

About Holi

Holi is considered one of the most venerated and celebrated festivals of India and is celebrated in almost all parts of the country. It is also called sometimes like the “Festival of Love”, as in this day, people meet to join, forgetting all resentment and all kinds of bad feelings. The great Indian festival lasts one day and a night, which starts in the night of purnima or the day of the Falgun Moon of Month.

It is celebrated with the name of Holika Dahan Choti Holi the first night of the festival and is called Holi. In different parts of the country it is known with different names. The vitality of colors is something that brings a lot of positivity in our lives and, being Holi, the color festival is actually a day that is worth rejuvenating. Holi is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated in every part of India with greater joy and enthusiasm. The ritual begins when the bonfire is lit one day before the day of Holi and this process symbolizes the triumph of the good of the villain. The day of Holi, people play with colors with their friends and families, and at night show love and respect for their hold with Abbey.

The story about Holi

Story about Holi According to Hindu mythology, the demon king Hiranyakashipu and his sister Holika received the blessing that they were immortal and that no one in the universe could kill him.

His son Prahlada was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and, due to his anger, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill his son but failed. Eventually, he was saved by his sister, Holika. He asked his son Prahlada to sit on Holika lap over the fire.

Story about Holi Miraculously, Vishnu saved Prahlada while Holika burned to ashes. Holi is therefore a celebration of the “good” versus the “bad”.
Story about Holi also commemorates the love and romance that existed between Lord Krishna and Radha.

There are a number of tales that recount the various ‘ras-leelas’ that took place in the cities of Mathura and Vrindavan between Krishna and Radha during Holi.

Story about Holi It is believed that on this day Lord Shiva annihilated Kamadeva, the God of love.

Other names of Holi

  • Fagwah (in Assam)
  • Festival of colours (in English)
  • Vasanta utsav
  • Dulhendi
  • Sigmo in Goa
  • Shimga in Maharashtra
  • Doljatra (in Bengali/Oriya)

Significance of Holi

Despite being such a colorful and joyful festival, there are several aspects of Holi that make it so important to our lives. While they may not that obvious, a closer look and a little thought will reveal the meaning of Holi in more ways than it seems. From sociocultural, to religious to organic, there are many reasons why we should genuinely enjoy the party and appreciate the reasons for its celebrations.

So when Holi time comes, don’t stop and enjoy the festival to the fullest by enthusiastically participating in every little festival-related tradition.

Mythological Significance

Holi approaches our religion and our mythology, as it is essentially the celebration of different legends associated with the party.

Story about Holi The most important thing is the legend of Prahlada and Hiranyakshyap. The legend says that once a demon lived and a powerful king, Hiranyakshyap, who is a God considered and wanted everyone to worship them. For the great anger of him, son of him, Prahlada began to worship, Vishnu. To get rid of Him, Hiranyakshyap asked her sister, Holika inserted a burning fire with Prahlada in her lap, as she had made a blessing to go into unharmed fire. Legend has it that Prahlada was saved from his extreme devotion to the lord, while Holika paid a price for his sinister wish. Story about Holi The tradition of burning Holika or “Holika Dahan” comes mainly from this legend.

Holi also celebrates the legend of Radha and Krishna which describes the extreme joy Krishna felt in applying the color to Radha and other gopis. This Krishna joke later became a fashion and a part of the Holi festivities.

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The mythology also states that Holi is the celebration of the death of Ogress Pootana, who try to kill little Krishna by feeding him poisonous milk.

Another extremely popular Holi legend in South India is that of Lord Shiva and Kamadeva. According to legend, people in the south celebrate the sacrifice of the Passion Lord Kamadeva, who risk his life to take Lord Shiva out of meditation and save the world. Furthermore, popular is the legend of Dhundhi’s enlightened who was usually disturbing the children in the reign of Raghu and was finally persecuted by the children’s jokes about the day of Holi. Showing the conviction of him in the legend, the children up to date play jokes and launch abuse at the time of Holika Dahan.

Cultural Significance

Celebrating the various legends associated with Holi reassures people about the power of truth, as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakshyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to God pays off, as God always carries his true devotee into his refuge.

All these legends help people to follow good conduct in their life and to believe in the virtue of being truthful. This is extremely important in modern society when so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and torture those who are honest. Holi helps people believe in the virtue of being truthful and honest and also fight evil.

Holi is celebrate at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and people are expecting a good harvest. This gives a people a good reason to rejoice, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit of Holi.

Social Significance

Holi helps to unite society and strengthen the centuries-old fabric of our country. Because the festival is also celebrate by non-Hindus as everyone likes to part of such a colorful and joyful festival.
Additionally, the Holi lore is that enemies also become friends on Holi and forget any feelings of difficulty that may  present. Also, on this day people make no distinction between rich and poor and everyone celebrates the holiday together in a spirit of kindness and brotherhood.
In the evening, people visit friends and family and exchange gifts, sweets and greetings. This helps to revitalize relationships and strengthen emotional connections between people.

Biological Significance

As Holi comes at a time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is natural for the body to experiences some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere. To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the system of the human body.

Besides, the colours when sprayed on the body have a great impact on it. Biologists believe the liquid dye or Abeer penetrates the body and enters into the pores. It has the effect of strengthening the ions in the body and adds health and beauty to it.

Rituals of Holi

Rituals of the ancient festival of Holi are religiously follow every year with care and enthusiasm.

Preparations

Days before the festival. People start collecting wood for the illumination of the bonfire called Holika at the main crossroads of the city. This guarantees that a large stack of wood is collect at the time of actual celebration.

Holika Dahan Celebrations

So on Holi Eve, Dahan takes place. Effigy of Holika, the devil mind sister of demon King Hiranyakshyap is place in the wood and burnt.. Because, Holika tried to kill Hiranyakshyap son, Prahlad, a burning devotee of Lord Narayan. The ritual symbolizes the victory of the good of evil and also of the triumph of a true devotee.

Children also pull abuse to Holika and pray jokes, as if they were still trying to scare Dhundhi’s, who once hit the little ones in the kingdom of prithu. Some people also take the embers of fire in their homes to rekindle their national fires.

Play of Colors

The next day is obviously the main day of the Holi celebrations. The day is callDhuleti and it is on this day that the true play of colors takes place. There is no tradition of holding puja and it is meant for pure enjoyment.

The tradition of playing with colors is particularly rampant in northern India and even in that region there is no comparison with Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan. Even in Maharashtra and Gujarat, Holi is celebrate with great enthusiasm and fun.

People take extreme delight in spraying colour water on each other with pichkaris or pouring buckets and buckets of it. Singing Bollywood Holi numbers and dancing on the beat of dholak is also a part of the tradition. holi color Amidst all this activity people relish gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional Holi delicacies with great joy.

Drinks, specially thandai laced with bhang is also an intrinsic part of the Holi festivity. Bhang helps to further enhance the spirit of the occasion but if taken in excess it might dampen it also. So caution should  take while consuming it.

Holi Celebrations in South India

In the south of India, however, people follow the tradition of the adoration of Kamadeva, the love of love of Indian mythology. People have faith in the legend who speak of the great sacrifice of Kamadeva when he shot his love arrow in Lord Shiva to break his meditation and evoke him interest of him for worldly affairs.

Subsequently, a one-day people and fans become a bit sober at night and greets friends and the family that visit them and exchanges candies. Various cultural organizations are also organized by various cultural organizations to generate harmony and brotherhood in society.

Holi in India

Holi is one of the major festival of India and is the most vibrant of all. The joys of Holi knows no bound. The festival is celebrated across the four corners of India or rather across the globe. Holi india festival The festival is filled with so much fun and frolic that the very mention of the word ‘Holi’ draws smile and enthusiasm amongst the people. Holi also celebrates the arrival of Spring, a season of joy and hope.

Legend of Holi Festival

Holi is one of the oldest festivals in India. There are many interesting stories associated with the origin of the festival as you travel through the different holi color states from north to south and east to west. Paintings and writings represent the roots of the festival. Mythology plays a very important role in the narrative of the Holi festival. The most popular stories about the origins of Holi refer to “Holika Dahan” and Legend of Radha-Krishan.

Story of Holika

Entirely intertwined with Holi is the tradition of “Holika Dahan” which is actually lighting bonfires. The ritual is a symbol of the victory of good over evil and is rooted in the legend of the demon king Hiranyakshyap wishing to end the life of his blessed son, Prahlad, with the help of his sister, Holika, who was burned to death. fir and Prahlad did not suffer any damage. Since then, the day has been celebrated in the victory of good over evil.

Story of Radha and Krishan

The legend of Radha and Krishna is intimately link to this tradition of colors in Holi. The dark-skin young Krishna was jealous of the very white skin of his belove Radha. In a mischievous mood, he apply color to Radha’s face. Following this ancient legend, lovers to this day ardently desire to color their belove as an expression of love.

Holi Celebrations in India

Holi is famous as Basant Utsav in rural India. why celebrate holi in It is one of the most important holidays in India and is celebrate with great enthusiasm and joy. Gulal, Abeer and pichkaris are synonymous with the festival. holi color Elaborate plans are made for coloring love ones. Each wants to  the first to color the other. In the ensuing battle of colors, everyone drowns not only in the colors of the gulal but also in love and joy. People love to bathe themselves and others in color water. Gujiya and other sweets are offer to all who come across to color.

The temples are beautifully decorate in the time of Holi. The idol Radha is place on the swings and the devotees spin the swings singing Holi devotional songs. Small shows are currently organize that reflect the spirit of the festival.

What is strikingly the same across the country is the spirit of Holi. Fun, revelry, hustle and bustle for foolishness mark this festival of colors. Holi india festival What more can you expect? When people get a social sanction for getting drunk on bhang, they open up not only the heart but also the lungs. And purple too, no one should offen, as the norm of the day is “Bura na mano Holi hai”.

Holi in Mathura-Vrindavan

why celebrate holi in Mathura People from all corners of India, rather from the world, gather in Mathura-Vrindavan every year to feel the essence of Holi in the land of Krishna. People revive the Holi legends associate with Radha and Krishna and play pranks that young Krishna play on cowgirls call gopis. The underlying feeling of this fun was love and devotion. Even today, romance can  experience in the very atmosphere of Krishna-nagari. Just breathe this air and immerse yourself in the feeling of love and romance. Myriad colors of Holi are simply a façade on this.

why celebrate holi

Celebrations Continue for a Week

With an immensely strong bonding with Lord Krishna, people of Mathura and Vrindavan celebrate Holi for over a week. Each major Krishna temple celebrates Holi on a different day. Of immense interest for the tourist is the celebrations which take place at the famous Bakai-Bihari Temple at Vrindavan. Drenched in the colours of Holi people can find totally immersed in the spirit of devotion here.

The Legend

The tradition of playing colours on Holi draws its roots from a legend of Radha and Krishna. It is said that young Krishna was jealous of Radha’s fair complexion since he himself was very dark. Holi india festival He narrated his woe to mother Yashoda, who teasingly asked him to colour Radha’s face in which ever colour he want. In a mischievous mood, Krishna apply colour on Radha’s face. The tradition of applying colour on one’s belove is being religiously follow till date.

Holi in Barsana

why celebrate holi in Barsana. Holi of Barsana, the birthplace of Radha, a village 42 kms away from Mathura is of particular interest. Here, men from Nandgaon, the land of Krishna come to play Holi with the girls of Barsana and hope of raising their flag over Shri Radhikaji’s temple. But, instead of colours they are greeted with sticks by the gopis. Hence, the Holi get its new name here-Lath maar Holi.

why celebrate holi

Smart enough, men come fully padd as they are fully aware what kind of welcome awaits them and also the fact that they are not allow to retaliate on that day.

Holi in Delhi

The moment you think about Holi, you start smiling, right? why celebrate holi in delhi Of course! It is the festival of colors, joy, unification, dance and foods like Gujiya, Masala Mathri, Samosa, Puran Poli, Thandai, Chaats like Papri Chaat and Dahi Balla. The list is endless!

But how do people in Delhi celebrate holi color? How is Holi in Delhi different from Holi in Mumbai or Goa or Udaipur or Kolkata or overseas?

Let’s learn about the special holi color in Delhi. Holi celebrations in Delhi often begin with a “Tilak”. A Tilak is a traditional color mark drawn on a person’s forehead. For some it is a symbol of honor, for others it represents trust. Some wear it out of habit. Holi india festival Some believe it is a good omen. People also greet each other with wreaths before starting Holi. The people of Delhi (people living in Delhi) celebrate the sacre with endless music. Delhi is believe to have a musical Holi.

Holiyappa, 2022!

The event took place on the 18th of March, 2022. Holi india festival It was organize in The Junction, Green Park Delhi. The event promote to offer lovely music to the audience so that they could dance and enjoy. It present some famous DJs like Dj Dheer and Dj Tanuj. Its theme was ‘Music, colours and good vibes’.

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Holi Sangria, 2022!

Another upcoming event of 2022, Holi Sangria is extravagant celebrations. According to sources, it will host in The Game Forest club, Archview Drive, Sector- 58, Gurugram. You can expect amazing fun here. There will  vibrant colours along with the music.

Sumptuous Holi Foods From The City Of Delhi!

Let’s read about some of the most popular Holi foods in Delhi

Thandai-

You can assume from the name if you have never tasted it, that it is a cold drink. But wait! It isn’t a regular soft drink like Pepsi or Coca-Cola. A Thandai is a special drink prepared with pure water, sugar, almonds, saffron poppy seeds and more. It has malai or milk fat in it. It tastes heavenly and sweet drink that is cold. People who drink glasses if thadai enter a state of euphoria or exhilaration. They are often seen, emitting intoxicating behaviours.

why celebrate holi

Gujiya

A Gujiya is a sweet dumpling. It has a filling of khoya and dry fruits. It is deep fry. Holi india festival A Gujiya is a must edible when you think of Holi in Delhi. In Delhi, it is a common sight where happy faces smeared with vibrant colours gorge on gujiya during Holi.

why celebrate holi

Laddoo!

It is because Delhi is a concoction of different cultures and customs, it has a host of foods belonging to different parts of India. Laddoo is a famous sweet during Holi in Delhi. holi color and Delhi are inseparable. Endless people in Delhi get engrosse in the Holi celebrations, forgetting all the sorrows of life.

Story about Holi

Holi in Rajasthan

why celebrate holi in Rajasthan The colorful state of Rajasthan interprets Holi in the same way as Mathura. One night before the full moon, crowds of people gather and light huge bonfires to burn the remaining dry leaves and twigs of winter. People throw holi color colored water and powders (gulal and kumkum) at each other and have fun. The singing, dancing and traditional rhythms of dhol add to the joy of the occasion.

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Celebrations by Royals

On this day, even the royals of Rajasthan don a festive spirit and mix with the plebeians. Approach, real fields throughout North India have refined the festival in an art.  Rajasthani courts warriors were use to show their equestrian skills during the festival.

Story about Holi

Even today, Rajput men should steed through white and pink clouds, launching color powders to each other. Holi india festival Even members of real families are not immune to  immersed by color.

Braj Mahotsav

why celebrate holi The Braj Festival is honour of Lord Krishna a few days before Holi, in the month of March. The festival is mark by verve and zest. Villagers, in gay, multi hued attire, can see singing and performing the raslila depicting the immortal love-story of Radha and Krishna.

Folk Traditions in Rajasthan

Mali Holi-The colourful festival of holi color is play in many different ways. why celebrate holi The ‘mali’ or gardener community of Rajasthan has a unique style where the men colour the women with water and women retaliate by hitting them with sticks or long pieces of cloth

Gair at Godaji- Men from 12 villages collect at Godaji village near Ajmer in Rajasthan to play gair a few days after holi. Each village brings his own drummer and gair troupes. The picturesque location for it is a valley surround by hills on all sides. Thousands of onlookers and close to hundred players make a wonderful sight and a fond memory.

Dolchi Holi at Bikaner-In Bikaner district, members of ‘Harsh’ and ‘Vyas’ communities have been celebrating Holi by throwing water at one another with force for the past more than 300 years. Story about Holi A special design vessel call Dolchi made from camel skin is use for the purpose. Holi india festival But the water is throw only at the back of an individual.

Holi in Uttar Pradesh

The celebrations in UP are not limit to just Mathura and Vrindavan. Rather, every corner of the state is envelope in the multiple shades of Holi. why celebrate holi color In this rather conservative state, Holi gives young people a license to socialize freely and give colorful expression to their feelings for each other. Story about Holi Don’t miss the delicious treats the state has for the festival. Gujiya, mathri, Dahi badas are a must as well as many other festive delicacies.

Holika Dahan

Story about Holi   The major ritual of Holi in this state is the lighting of bonfires. Better known as Holika on Choti Holi on a day prior to the main Holi. The tradition signifies the victory of good over evil and finds its root in the various legends associate with the festival.

Bhang

An explanation of Holi is incomplete without mentioning Bhang. For many, this has become the difference with Holi. why celebrate holi The tradition of eating bhang, an intoxicating drug, is practice in northern India. It is usually eat in the form of Laddoo or thandai. Holi india festival Eating bhang is an addition to the feast when people get up about it.

land of Shiva, Benares, particularly famous for its high gastronomic level. Sitting on the “gat” or the stairs leading to the Ganges river, you can see people of different colors hitting a fringe and mixing them with milk and various dried fruits to add flavor.

Celebration of Barley Harvest

The celebration is also a celebration of the barley harvest. In Choti Holi, people meet to establish fires. They buried a new pot of barley seeds in play to roast it. These seeds ate after the fire. The divination of the next harvest begins to establish the direction of the flame or state of the seeds in a funeral vessel. Sometimes people bring embers to their homes to set them on fire. The ashes of the Holi fires are also believe to protect against infection.

Holi Celebrations at The Dwarkadhish Temple at Mathura

The celebration of holi color is closely link to the legends of Radha and Krishna in Indian mythology. Krishna, why celebrate holi color with his dark face, envied the beautiful Radha. He believes he once paint Radha’s face out of envy to make her look like him. Story about Holi These old legends still have people who like to paint their faces with colors and celebrate the love they have in their lives.

Holi Celebrations At Dwarkadhish Temple

Mathura Building Temple Dwarkadhish is  call “color riot” correctly for Holi celebration. Congratulations every day at the Krishna Temple, which continues for a week. Holi india festival Traditions of Lath mar Holi are rent in this temple. Holi Day of Mathura is the day I watch the temple of Dwarkadhish.
Everyone attend the temple to participate in every life of all people living with the temple. Story about Holi They come together and color each other. Holi india festival The temple priest poured colored water over the disciples to symbolize joy in the lives of all who were there.

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