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Holi
in the hindi cinema Sholay |
Holi
(होली)
Holi festival of colours
History
Legends
Rituals
Holi in Vandraban (Lathmar Holi)
Health Hazards
Play Holi With Safe Colours
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Holi
(होली)
Holi (होली)
is a joyous celebration of the colors of love and life and a festival
that celebrates the end of evil and the victory of truth. In
India Holi has traditionally been celebrated without any distinction of cast, creed, color, race, status or sex. It is one occasion when sprinkling colored powder ('gulal') or colored water on each other breaks all barriers of discrimination. It is celebrated as harvest festival as well as welcome-festival for the spring season in India.
This year (2008) holi being celebrated on March 21- 22.. Holi
is also called 'Phagwah' which is derived from the name of the Hindu month
'Phalgun'. The month of Phalgun ushers India in Spring when seeds sprout, flowers bloom and the country rises from winter's slumber. In West Bengal, it is known as
Dolyatra (Doljatra) or Boshonto Utsav ("spring festival"). |
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Holi festival of colours
Holi, is among the most popular Indian festivals, celebrated through the length and breadth
in India. During this festival, the people of India, forget
their personal sorrows and qualms, and celebrate the myriad of colours that lighten
our life and make it pleasent. Holi, the festival of colours, is thus a tribute to joy, to our unending search for happiness and to life. During this festival,
the people of India, forget their personal sorrows and qualms, and celebrate the myriad of colours that lighten
their life and make it worth living. Holi, the festival of colours, is
a tribute to joy, to our unending search for happiness and to life.
To celebrate Holi people visits to their friends or move around in
groups and apply colour on each other. People embrace and greet each other by applying abir as ‘tilak’. Any feeling of adversity or hostility is forgotten on that day.
On this day of Holi even enemies become friends.
The social element during Holi is the uniting or “embracing” of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting of equals.
We should forget the outgoing year’s ill-feelings and begin the new year with feelings of love, sympathy, co-operation and equality with all. Holi also means “sacrifice”. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity.
History
Holi is an ancient festival of India, said to have existed even centuries before Christ.
Historian believe that Holi was first celebrated by the Aryans. A detailed narrative of this festival, originally known as
Holika, is found in early religious texts like Puranas. A stone inscription belonging to 300 BC found at Ramgarh mentions “Holikotsav” on it. King Harsha, has mentioned about “holikotsav” in his work Ratnavali that was written during the 7th century. The famous Muslim historian - Al- Baruni also described
“holikotsav” in his historical memories. According to him, this festival was celebrated not only by Hindus but also by the Muslims.
In West Bengal and Orissa, Holi Poornima is celebrated as the birthday of Chaitanya
Mahaprabhu.
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Legends
The Legend of Holika:
According to a Puranic story, a demon king Hiranyakashap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana.
The demon-king punished his son, Prahlad in a variety of ways to denounce Lord Narayana. He failed in all his attempts. Finally, he asked his sister Holika to take Prahlad in her lap and enter a blazing fire. Holika had a boon to remain unburned even inside fire. Holika did her brother's bidding. However, Holika's boon ended by this act of supreme sin against the Lord's devotee and was burnt to ashes. But Prahlad came out unharmed. This
remind people that those who love God shall be saved, and they that torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes.
Ras-Lila: It is a festival of romance and immortal love-play
(Ras-lila) of Radha and Krishna. Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized the festival by playing pranks
and gulals on the gopis and Radha. Once Krishna complained to his mother about the contrast between his dark colour and his consort Radha's fair colour. Krishna's mother decided to apply colour to Radha's face.
The tradition continues as each year in spring, the celebrated season of love.
Legend of Kamadeva (god of love): Kama's body was destroyed when he shot his weapon at Shiva in order to disrupt
his penance and help Parvati to marry Shiva. Shiva then opened his third eye,
the gaze of which was so powerful that Kama's body was reduced to ashes. For the
sake of Kama's wife Rati (passion), Shiva restored him, but only as a mental
image, representing the true emotional and mental state of love rather than
physical lust. The Holi bonfire is believed to be celebrated in commemoration of
this event.
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Prahlad in the
laps of Holika
Lord Krishna
playing Holi with Radha |
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Rituals
In
North India this festival main emphasis is laid on the burning of Holika or lighting of
Holi. On the first day of Holi, bonfires are lit at night to signify burning the demoness
Holika, Hiranyakashipu's sister. On the second day, known as Dhuleti, people spend the day throwing coloured
powder and water at each other
In Bengal, Holi is known as Dol Yatra or the swing festival'.
The Bengali celebrations focus on the legendary love of Krishna and
Radha. In Santiniketan however, Holi, known as Basant Utsav, is celebrated as a tribute to the season of spring. Originally started by poet Rabindranath Tagore, this festival is celebrated by the students
with much fervour.
The festival of Holi lasts just six days in Manipur and it is amalgamated with
the centuries-old Manipuri festival called Yaosang.
In Maharashtra and Gujarat, a huge procession of men drenched in colored water
takes to the streets. In honor of Lord Krishna, the men call out a warning,
"Here comes Govinda, take care of your butter and milk".
In South India Holi is known by the name of Kamadahana , the day on which Cupid was burnt by Lord Siva.
In South India, people follow the tradition of worshiping Kaamadeva, the god of love in Indian mythology.
The Banjara tribes of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Holi in their own way with graceful dances and songs.
Holi in Vandraban (Lathmar Holi)
Holi is more significance at the birthplace of the Lord Krishna, Brajbhoomi
which is made up of the two cities
Mathura and Vrindavan. The festivities commence in this region one week earlier
than in other cities and last for 16 vibrant days. Here, Lord
Krishna is simultaneously worshiped and celebrated with play-fighting among young men and women. Vrindavan, in particular, has become
known as a favorite spot for lovers.
The village of Barsana, a short distance from Mathura, has its own unique
ritual. Radha was from Barsana, while Krishna was from the village of
Nandagow. During Holi, men from Nandagow descend on Barsana to celebrate, but are
beaten with sticks (Lathmar Holi) by the women and sprayed with color. The men must try to avoid
capture and any who fail will be dressed up as women and made to dance. This
ritual may have overtones of courtship.
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Health Hazards
Most Holi colors sold in the market are oxidized metals or industrial dyes mixed with engine oil.
All these are toxic and can result in anything from skin allergies, eye irritation, blindness and much more. When washed, they enter the rivers and the soil and increase pollution.
This research revealed that Holi colours come in three forms; pastes, dry colours and water
colours: The pastes contain very toxic chemicals that can have severe health effects as
follows:
Black contains lead oxide and can cause renal failure.
Green contains copper sulphate and can cause eye allergy, puffiness and temporary
blindness.
Silver contains aluminium bromide which is carcinogenic.
Blue contains prussian blue which can lead to contact dermatitis.
Red contains mercury sulphate which is highly toxic and can cause skin
cancer.
The dry colours, commonly known as gulals, have two components – a colourant
that is toxic and a base which could be either asbestos or silica, both of which
cause health problems. Heavy metals contained in the colourants can cause
asthma, skin diseases and temporary blindness.
Wet colours, mostly use gentian violet as a colour concentrate which can cause
skin discolouration and dermatitis. |
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Play Holi With Safe Colours
By using safe, natural colors we not only save our skins but also help save our environment and conserve our biodiversity. When these colors percolate into the soil and water they do not add toxicity to our blue planet, and cause no harm to the myriad life forms that live in the soil and water. Thereby, we also popularize the diverse plants and trees that give us these colors, and live life the Vedic way, our ancient and most precious heritage. |
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