Holi is synonymous with bright shimmering colors, water balloons, water arms, and thandai. Today is the Festival of Colors, a meeting of people from all over the world to rejoice and celebrate. This is the time of year when the air is packed with vibrant colors and all streets and lanes are filled with revelry.
Let’s take a break from the fun and festivities to talk about how it all started and other fascinating details about this vibrant festival.
Story #1
Holi’s origins are entwined with two mythological stories. To begin, demon king Hiranyakashyap demanded that his son Prahlad be killed by his sister Holika. Holika sat in the fire with Prahlad because she endured it. Prahlad, on the other hand, was rescued when he began praying to Lord Vishnu, while Holika was reduced to ashes.
The other tale is the well-known Radha-Krishna love story. Krishna had a dark complexion and believed that Radha, who was lighter in complexion, would not accept his love. As a result, he smeared colors on Radha’s forehead, and the Holi festival began.
Story #2
Holi is celebrated in a special way by South Indians. They credit the festival to Lord Kamdeva’s sacrifice, in which he risked his life to free Lord Shiva from meditation and save the earth.
Story #3
Holi is celebrated at its pinnacle in Mathura and Vrindavan, with festivities beginning a week before the festival. Locals not only enjoy a splash of color, but also engage in a game of Lathmar Holi, which involves bamboo sticks and shields. Not only that, but Vrindavan residents have set aside a day to play Holi with flowers.
Story #4
Discrimination is smashed, and all age-old traditions are broken during Holi. It’s a one-of-a-kind festival that brings people of all religions together to celebrate.
Story #5
Widowers in Vrindavan have been playing Holi two days before the festival since 2013. Holi, true to its heart, has once again defied age-old traditions by inspiring all souls to have fun and laugh.
Story #6
Nepal has a whole week devoted to Holi as well. They decorate a bamboo pole with colorful clothes a week before Holi and then burn it on Holika Dahan.
Story #7
India and its neighbors aren’t the only ones who are celebrating. People in the United States and parts of Europe celebrate Holi as they would every other holiday.
Holi is one of those rare festivals in which people participate regardless of their religious beliefs. This colorful festival brings people together to play. Holi, appropriately dubbed “the festival of colors” and “the festival of passion,” has captured hearts not only in Asia, but also in Europe and the United States. Germany went to the extent to hold a large open-air music festival to commemorate Holi.
In a world full of religious fanatics, there are few religious festivals that are celebrated uniformly, cutting across religious and national boundaries. It’s as if the colors had the ability to transcend social, ethnic, and religious barriers. Holi has been a grand ambassador for Hinduism, spreading the ultimate concept that Hinduism seeks to preach: 7 billion people on diverse paths all leading to the same God! This is evident on Holi, as people from various countries and religions come together to celebrate the festival of love.
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