Holi is the day of color, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love.
It is the day good wins over evil. It is the day we let our inner child out. Today let us tell our adult selves also to believe in the goodness of humanity.
The festival is celebrated with great happiness on the full moon of Phalgun on the arrival of Rituraj Vasant. On the day of Phalgun Purnima, people go to their fields singing and laughing. When there is a fire in Holi, then that half-cooked food is roasted in it and distributed to each other and hugged. it is festive for play and laughing, forgetting and forgiving.
On this day, people gathered at a place and hug each other. They rub gulaal on the face of each other. The tradition of singing holi songs is famous, Faag or Chaiti is one of them.
A great festival of Hinduism starts with holika dahan on the first evening of Holi. holika dahan has another name like chhoti holi.
Story of Holika Dahan
There was a king Hiranyakashyapu, a demon, who won over the entire earth. He was so egoistic that he ordered everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But his son, Prahlad was a devotee of Narayana (Vishnu) and refused to worship his father Hiranyakashyapu.
Hiranyakashyapu tried several ways to get his son to worship him. But all his efforts failed and he ordered his servants to kill Prahlad sometimes but lord Vishnu rescued him every time. Finally, Hiranyakashyapu turned to his sister Holika who had been blessed by a boon that made her immune to fire. So her brother asked Holika to enter a fire with Prahlad in her lap. This time Hiranyakashyapu was confident to death of Prahlad.
She then ordered her attendants to light the fire. But by the blessings of lord Vishnu, Holika was burned to death and Prahlad was safe.
Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of lord Vishnu all this while, came out unharmed, as Deity Vishnu had blessed him once again for his unwavering devotion.
Thus, the festival got its name from the burning of Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.
According to another legend, Lord Krishna performed Rasleela with the Gopis on this day. On this day everyone in Nandgaon celebrated with colors and gulal. Holi still reminds us of the gaiety created by the old and the young, men and women together on this very day on the Brajbhoomi of Nandgaon and Barsana.
Holi in different states of India
BIHAR & JHARKHAND
This is known as Phaguwa in the local language of Bihar and Jharkhand, Bhojpuri. on the first evening, people put dry cow dung and wood to burn Holika and for Holika Dahan. Holi Milan Samaroh is also seen in Bihar along with several states of India. one family visits another family’s house for greetings and well wishes. folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of dhol and another musical instruments.
GOA
Holi is called Ukkuli in Konkani. Holi is a part of the Konkani spring festival known as Sigma. the festival includes Holika Puja and Dahan, Dhulvad, or Dhuli Vandana, offering yellow and saffron color or Gulal to the god.
TRIPURA
In Tripura, Holi is known as “Pali” which means color in the Tripuri language.
UTTAR PRADESH
Lathmaar Holi is very famous in Banaras, a town in the Braj region, celebrated with full of happiness in Radha Rani Temple. Thousands of people gather to witness lathmar holi and sing holi songs along with the loud voice of Radhe-Radhe or Sri Radhe Krishna. Here men are beaten by a woman with a stick and other Lath.
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