Not everyone knows that the most large-scale Holi festival of colors can be seen in India. Holi is a folk
Indian holiday , the traditions of which they have been observing for more than three hundred years and are not going to abandon them in the near future. The festival of colors symbolizes the arrival of spring and the end of a long winter.
There is no exact date for the Holi festival of colors. It can be held in February and March, it all depends on the full moon - the festival begins the day after it.
History of the Holi Festival
The first mention of this holiday appeared in the oldest Sanskrit texts, as well as in the Vedas (these are collections of ancient sacred scriptures of Hindus in Sanskrit). Another proof of the existence of this holiday is a stone inscription made three centuries ago.
Several legends explain the origin of this festival, which have come down to us through many generations.
The first legend says that the holiday was named after the demoness, the sister of the strict and evil king Hiranyakashipu. The ruler gained the ability to live forever and therefore began to consider himself a god, and after that he forced everyone to worship only him. The son of this king, Prahlad, recognized only one of the divine beings - Vishnu, and no one could convince him of the power of other deities.
So the king’s sister - Holika - decided to kill her nephew who did not believe in her father. To do this, she told Prahlad to ascend to the fire, thus paying tribute to the god Vishnu. Everyone believed that the demoness did not burn in the fire. It turned out quite the opposite - the sister burned down, and Prahlad was saved by the god Vishnu and emerged unharmed from the fire.
There is another version of the legend, according to which the king was still endowed with eternal life and demanded complete worship of his personality. But in this story, the son did not worship his father, and the king’s sister Holika supported Prahlad. Therefore, the ruler decided to punish his sister and son for disobedience - to burn them at a sacred fire.
To save his aunt, Prahlad turned to Vishnu, who gave him a sacred multicolored scarf. This scarf was considered a gift from all the Gods, it was necessary to cover Holika with it in the very fire. The prince did so, and he himself sat next to his aunt, preparing to die. But when the fire began to spread, the scarf fell off Holika and covered Prahlad. This event further strengthened the heir’s faith in Vishnu.
After some time, the king received punishment. When he was near his castle in the evening, God sent a deadly lightning bolt into his heart. Thus, evil was punished, and justice was restored.
Customs of the Holiday
This tradition is most revered in northern India.
A few days before the start of the Holi festival in India, they paint the walls of houses, place many flower arrangements in the rooms, purchase powder, dyes and special sprayers.
Two weeks before the festival, preparations for it are underway at the city level - artists perform, collecting funds for the event; firewood and brushwood are harvested for the festive bonfire.
The bonfire itself, on which the effigy of Holika is burned, is lit at night. After that, cattle are driven through the bonfire, and then they are made to walk on the remaining coals. The Hindus themselves also walk on them. By this, the participants of the festival show their courage and bravery. The inhabitants of India believe that ashes bring good luck, and the smoke from the bonfire dissipates all the bad things that have accumulated over the winter. Not only firewood, but also fruits, vegetables, flowers, grain and other offerings to the deities are thrown into the fire.
The festival is accompanied by a huge number of songs, dances, playing national musical instruments and unrestrained fun. Participants of the event throw colored powders at each other. They are obtained from finely ground corn, painted in different colors.
The traditional drink of the Holi festival is thandai with bhang. It is prepared from milk (or dairy products) and juice (or hemp leaves).
On this night, Hindus swing figurines of various gods on swings, showing them their respect.
This holiday is especially pleasing to children, because it is on this day that they are allowed any pranks. But adults who have worked and raised children all year round are also not averse to having a good rest.
It is necessary to wear clothes for the festival that you won’t mind throwing away after the holiday, as there is a high probability that the paint will not wash off.
As soon as the festival ends, people begin to visit each other, taking fruits and vegetables as treats. Girls receive gifts from admirers, and husbands on this day present gifts to their wives in the form of a beautiful dress. The holiday usually ends on the third day.
Kseniya-Kseniya
I read about this holiday for the first time and with great interest. I always thought that during Holi people pour liquid dyes on each other, but it turns out that they throw colored powders.... In Saratov, once a year, young people (students) also organize a Holi festival, although it is unclear in whose honor - and it is unlikely that any of the participants know the history of the holiday. All the fun consists in pouring liquid red paint on each other.
Minchenko Dmitry Sergeevich
I first got acquainted with this holiday in 2012, I traveled to India for work. Quite a breathtaking sight, the inhabitants become good-natured, a lot of songs and dances. They give each other many gifts. I'm glad you reminded me of this, I remembered the distant past.