The Original Story behind Holi “The festival of Colors “
A free-for-all festival of colors, anyone and everyone can play Holi. It’s a day when people smear each other with colors and drench each other be it – friends or strangers, rich or poor, men or women, children, and elders. The frolic and fight with colors occurs in the open streets, parks, outside temples and buildings. There are also dancing and singing groups who sing special Phagwah folk music. Holi delicacies, food and drinks .In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up and visit family and friends.
Celebrating festivals brings out the happiest side of all the employees and builds the warmest of bonds among teams – Holi is the most vibrant and bright one of them all! It is during festivals at LISAA School of Design all the employees come together as one big family to celebrate with love, positive vibes and smiles !
The Holi Festival is celebrated as a way to welcome in spring, and also is seen as a new beginning where people can release all their inhibitions and start fresh. It is said that during the Holi Festival, the gods turn a blind eye, and it’s one of the few times extremely devout Hindus allow themselves to let loose.
The Festival is based on the Hindu legend Holika, the female demon and the sister of the demon Hiranyakashayap. It is believed that Hiranyakashayap was the ruler of the universe and also superior to all gods. However, Hiranyakashayap’sHiranyakashayap’s son Prahlad went against his mother by following Lord Vishnu. This action left his father with no choice but to collaborate with Holika to kill him.
Although it is a Hindu festival, it is popular among non-Hindus. People gather the night before Holi and perform religious rituals and then pray for the destruction of their internal evil. The next morning people start the real carnival traditions and smear each other with colored powders; they sometimes use water guns and water-filled balloons for more fun. Groups of people march the streets with drums and other instruments, singing and dancing. People also gather with their families and friends to color each other and share Holi delicacies.
The event lasts for a night and day, from the evening of the full moon (Purnima). Holika Dahan, the burning demon Holika, is the first evening of the event. On this night, people gather, perform religious rituals on a bonfire and pray that the evil inside them is destroyed the way Holika was killed in the fire.
The festival of Colors is celebrated all over India since ancient times. Originally, the festival was an agricultural festival, celebrating the arrival of spring. It represents throwing off the gloom of winter and enjoying the liveliness of spring. The legend associated with the festival involves an evil king called Hiranyakashipu. He forbade his son from worshipping Vishnu. However, Radhu proceeded offering prayers to the gods. Hiranyakashipu challenged Prahlad to sit on a pyre with his aunt Holika who was to be immune to fire. When the fire started, Holika was burnt to death whereas Prahlad survived without a scar. Burning Holika is celebrated as Holi.
The morning after also known as Rangwali Holi is where people smear each other with colors and enjoy delicious gujiyas together, sharing the love. Water guns and water-filled balloons are also a part of the celebrations, making every moment of the event memorable.
Before the Festival, people often gather wood and combustible material to light a bonfire in parks, in community centers and also in open spaces. Preparation also involves stoking homes with food, party drinks and festive foods like mathri, malpuas and gujiya among many other foodstuffs.
The Holi festival is celebrated across the whole of India with different traditions in each region. Generally, the celebration of Holi in North India, in the Golden Triangle of Delhi, Agra, and Jaipur, is more vivid than in the Southern part of India, which focuses on religion and temple rituals. The Holi celebration is witnessed in every nook of these cities.
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