HOLI!!

Festival of hues

The festival of hues is here! It is an eagerly awaited festival by the youngsters and children across the country. Holi festival signifies the onset of the spring season and also bids farewell to the crispy winters. We celebrate holi on full moon day by worshipping the bonfire at dusk, which is lighted at almost every cross roads. Worshipping the sacred fire also has a fable behind it.

The fable goes like this….Decades ago, Hiranayakashyap, the king of demons, had a boon from God that no one would ever be able to kill him. Hence, he started compelling people to worship him and not God. However, his son Prahlad, worshipped Lord Vishnu which made his father very furious. He tried to kill Prahlad through various means but Prahlad was always cosseted by God. After many malicious attempts, the king of demon asks his sister, Holika to sit on a pyre with Prahlad in her lap as she had a blessing of being safe from fire. To everyone’s surprise, Holika was burnt to ashes as the boon only worked if she was solitarily placed in the fire, whereas; Prahlad remained safe and sound. Hence people celebrate the victory of good over evil on this day.

Dhuleti is celebrated the next day. People arrange a jamboree where they throw colour powder and splash colour water on each other. People celebrate it merrily where as children just soak in enjoyment by spraying water through water guns.

The only thing that we need to restrict is the use of chemical colours as it sabotages our skin immensely. Instead of that, we should use natural colours to make the festival health friendly which allows the people to bask up to their appetite.

Remain colourful…Adios!