[25] There is a symbolic myth behind commemorating Krishna as well. [13][24], In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deity Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. [10][11] It originated and is predominantly celebrated in India, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent. Holi also marks the start of spring, for many the start of the new year, an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends. Activists estimate Holika causes 30,000 bonfires every year, with each one burning approximately 100 kilograms (220.46 lbs) of wood. [131][18] Organisers of these events have argued that the costs are to cover various key aspects of their events, such as safe colour powders, safety and security, and entertainment. [125] For example, at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New York[126] and Festival of Colors: Holi NYC in New York City, New York,[125][127] Holi is celebrated as the Festival of Color, where thousands of people gather from all over the United States, play and mingle. [74], During Holi in Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to rangoli in South India, mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. 2. Sometimes this is mixed with chickpea (gram) or other flour to get the right shade. In West Bengal, Holi is known by the name of "Dol Jatra", "Dol Purnima" or the "Swing Festival". [62], In Jammu and Kashmir, Holi celebrations are much in line with the general definition of Holi celebrations: a high-spirited festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop, with the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing.[63]. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark the beginning of the new year as well as an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts and rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from the past.[13][24]. People pay or forgive debts, as well as deal anew with those in their lives. Here, though, it is largely known as Phagwa... more Holi in United Kingdom Hindus settled in UK do not miss out the excitement of Holi celebrations and enjoy to the hilt. It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called Gosripuram temple. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi. Children can douse elders with water, women splash men with color and the rules of caste and creed are briefly forgotten with everyone taking part. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken round the main streets of the city or the village. Holi celebrated at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Mapin Pub. Indigo plant, Indian berries, species of grapes, blue hibiscus, and jacaranda flowers are traditional sources of blue colour for Holi. Prahlad's decision to turn his back on his father left Hiranyakashayap with no choice. [3], In Mughal India, Holi was celebrated with such exuberance that people of all castes could throw colour on the Emperor. This ritual is called Lath Mar Holi.[84]. [71], On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours[72] on each other. Ranjit Singh would celebrate Holi with others in the Bilawal gardens, where decorative tents were set up. Holi is celebrated at the end of Phagan. [43][44][45], Holi was observed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Sikh Empire that extended across what are now northern parts of India and Pakistan. Young children go from house to house to collect money, locally known as nakadeng (or nakatheng), as gifts on the first two days. Groups sing and dance, some playing drums and dholak. Various old editions of Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions published after 1910. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of the dholak (a two-headed hand-drum) and the spirit of Holi. Species of grapes, fruits of amla (gooseberry) and vegetable carbon (charcoal) offer gray to black colours. [note 1] The date falls typically in March, but sometimes late February of the Gregorian calendar. It starts on the evening, known as Holika Dahan Evening and the following day where people play with the Colors. Even though there have been references to a festival such as this in Sanskrit texts where people sprayed coloured … Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. Holi Festival – 30 Reasons Why to Celebrate Holi, A Colourful Festival? The youths at night perform a group folk dance called Thabal chongba on the full moon night of Lamta (Phalgun), traditionally accompanied by folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum, but nowadays by modern bands and fluorescent lamps. Holi is known by three names: Kamavilas, Kaman Pandigai and Kama-Dahanam[80][81][82][83]. Cambridge University Press. Holi is celebrated with great fervour in island states of Trinidad and Tobago. The festival of colours in these parts is called Rangapanchami, and occurs on the fifth day after Poornima (full moon). Holi, along with many other Hindu festivals, is celebrated in Nepal as a national festival. The next day is called "Rangwali Holi", meaning the "Holi of colors." On top of the pyre is an effigy to signify Holika who tricked Prahalad into the fire. [12][13] The festival also celebrates the beginning of a good spring harvest season. The Khari Holi (खड़ी होली) is mostly celebrated in the rural areas of Kumaon. It’s also called the Spring Festival as it marks the arrival of the spring season after a long winter. Celebrated across India, it's an ancient festival with the first mentions of it dating all the way back to a 4th century poem. Similar to Holi, the Dol Jatra celebrations in West Bengal and Odisha are dedicated to Lord Krishna. The moral of the story is that good always triumphs over evil. In urban areas, some people wear nose masks and sunglasses to avoid inhaling pigments and to prevent chemical exposure to eyes. Holi is a religious Hindu festival that originated in India, but is also widely celebrated in other parts of South Asia, including Nepal and Pakistan, as well as by Hindus all over the world. Prahlad accepted the challenge and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. All colours are used. Many of the Holi songs in Fiji are around the theme of love-relationship between Radha and Krishna. These songs are essentially based on classical ragas. [37], The festival has traditionally been also observed by non-Hindus, such as by Jains[2] and Newar Buddhists (Nepal). [73] For locals, Holi marks the end of winter. [120], An alleged environmental issue related to the celebration of Holi is the traditional Holika bonfire, which is believed to contribute to deforestation. Harvard University Press, Sekhon, Iqbal Singh (2000) The Punjabis. Phagwa is celebrated with a lot of colour and splendour, along with the singing on traditional Phagwah songs or Chowtal (gana). The Ganga Mela marks the official end of "The Festival of Colours" or Holi in Kanpur. Holi (Hindi: होली, Marathi: होळी, Nepali: होली, Punjabi: ਹੋਲੀ, Kannada: ಹೋಳಿ, Telugu: హోళి) is also known as Phakuwa or Phagwah (Assamese: ফাকুৱা), Festival of Colours, or Dola jātra (Odia: ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା) in Odisha, and as Dol Jatra (Assamese: দ’ল যাত্ৰা) or Basanto utsav (Bengali: বসন্ত উত্সব) ("Spring festival") in West Bengal, Tripura and Assam. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. [124], Holi is celebrated as a social event in parts of the United States. [29][30] It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius. [12] Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring's abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. During these activities, the men keep spraying coloured water and coloured powder, abir, at them. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw coloured powder at each other, and celebrate wildly. Mehendi and dried leaves of gulmohur tree offer a source of green colour. According to the Hindu legend, Holi is celebrated a day and a night. [67], In Punjab, the eight days preceding Holi are known as luhatak. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. The Holi rituals and customs outside South Asia also vary with local adaptations. Some of the places known to celebrate Holi are New Brunswick (NJ), Spanish Fork (Utah), Houston (TX), Dallas (TX), South El Monte (CA), Milpitas (CA), Boston (MA), Potomac (MD), and Chicago (IL). [88] An earthen pot filled with butter or other milk products is hung high by a rope. [110], Holi was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. It is usually hosted in temples or cultural halls. Certain clays are alternate source of brown. [27][28] Beyond India, these legends help to explain the significance of Holi (Phagwah) are common in some Caribbean and South American communities of Indian origin such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago. Many colours are obtained by mixing primary colours. Intoxicating bhang, made from cannabis, milk and spices, is consumed with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, such as pakoras and thandai, to enhance the mood of the festival.[59]. By late morning, everyone looks like a canvas of colours. While West Bengal celebrates Holi as Dol Jatra with singing and dancing, the people of South India worship the God of love, Kamadeva, on Holi. In Ahmedabad in Gujarat, in western India, a pot of buttermilk is hung high over the streets and young boys try to reach it and break it by making human pyramids. Members of Hindu associations and volunteers assist in hosting the event along with temple devotees. Holi ( /ˈhoʊliː/) is a popular ancient Hindu festival, also known as the Indian "festival of spring", the "festival of colours", and the "festival of love". Find out. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika was burnt to death, while Prahlad survived without a scar to show for it. Development Alternatives, Delhi's CLEAN India campaign,[117] Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group, Pune,[118] Society for Child Development through its Avacayam Cooperative Campaign[119] have launched campaigns to help children learn to make their own colours for Holi from safer, natural ingredients. [17][19][97][98], Holi is a national holiday in Suriname. But his son, Prahlad, followed the god Vishnu, the preserver and protector of the universe. This Mela (fair) was started by freedom fighters who fought British rule in the First Indian War of Independence in 1857 under the leadership of Nana Saheb. However, it may be noted that many parts of rural India have always resorted to natural colours (and other parts of festivities more than colours) due to availability. This day, called "Holi Milan", is considered to be the most colourful day of the year, promoting brotherhood among the people. He banned the public celebration of Holi using a Farman issue in November 1665. Brands such as Sony and Canon have used the vibrant festival to showcase their products. Though the festival is usually celebrated with colours, in some places people also enjoy celebrating Holi with water solutions of mud or clay. Dried tea leaves offer a source of brown coloured water. [18], "Basanta Utsav" and "Holli" redirect here. Prahlad was saved by Vishnu and it was Holika who died as she was only immune to fire if she was alone. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan (burning of demon holika) or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi,[14] or Phagwah. The second day is the festival of colour or "Dhuleti", celebrated by sprinkling coloured water and applying colours to each other. This year, Holi falls on March 2. People celebrate Holi inside a Temple premise in Ahmedabad on Tuesday. On the eve of Ganga Mela, all government offices, shops, and courts generally remain closed. The customs and celebrations vary between regions of India. A national holiday, it takes place on the last full moon day of the Hindu lunisolar calendar month, which is usually March. [15], Holi is an ancient Hindu religious festival which has become popular among non-Hindus as well in many parts of South Asia, as well as people of other communities outside Asia. [38] This however changed during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb. According to the Bhagavata Purana (Hinduism’s one puranas among the great 18 purana), it all starts with the king named Hiranyakaship who was the king of all the Asuras (a class of divine beings). [5][24] Visitors to homes are first teased with colours, then served with Holi delicacies (such as puranpoli, dahi-bada and gujia), desserts and drinks. [42] Guru Gobind Singh – the last human guru of the Sikhs – modified Holi with a three-day Hola Mohalla extension festival of martial arts. The festival celebrates the love that Krishna is believed to have expressed to Radha on that day. Holi is a Hindu festival celebrated in March, corresponding to the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna. Dulhendi, known as Charadi (छरड़ी) (from Chharad (छरड़)), is made from flower extracts, ash and water. Colour Drenched Gopis in Krishna Temple, Mathura, India. Manager of Publications, Self, David (1993) One Hundred Readings for Assembly. [60] Holi festivities (but not Śigmo festivities) include: Holika Puja and Dahan, Dhulvad or Dhuli vandan, Haldune or offering yellow and saffron colour or Gulal to the deity. Where to Celebrate Holi in India. 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