Festival of colour - Holi

HAPPY HOLI!

This is me as a baby on my 1st Holi :)

Holi is a religious festival of colour celebrated in India, Nepal and a lot of places all around the world. On this day we throw colours at each other… Wait, I don't mean like bunch of crayons and coloured pens, more like colour powder and water. It is such a happy festival of love and joy, with people celebrating with each other in merriment. It is celebrated to bid winter adieu and welcome spring for the year, generally celebrated on the last day of winter when it's a full moon day in the lunar month, february end or march. It is celebrated a day after the Holika bonfire.

Holi colour powder

For those of you lovely folks who don't know the meaning of "Holi", it is a long story… No, believe me… It is immensely long... but, that long story short, here is what had happened… Holika was an evil she-demon from Hindu mythology who was immune to fire, just like Hellboy. In many versions she is considered evil but in some she is considered kind and sacrificing. I will tell you the version I know and grew up listening to… It all started from Holika's brother, the king of the north-west Indian kingdom, King Hiranyakashyapu. He was an evil deity king who had a son, Prahlada, a devotee to his mortal enemy, Lord Vishnu. 

Why did he hate Lord Vishnu so much? 

Well, first of all cause evil hates good… Also, Lord Vishnu had slain the king's brother for trying to drown the Earth in the bottom of the "cosmic ocean," since then, the vicious cycle of him trying to take revenge on the Lord began. But much to the king's effort the kid remained strongly devoted to the God and did not back down no matter how hard the king tried. Finally defeated and raged, the king disowned the child and ordered his sister to burn the little boy alive with her on a bonfire, who was more than happy to oblige since she herself was fire proof. 

So, taking Prahlad on her lap, she sat down on a big pile of wood. Once the pyre had started to burn, the kid closed his eyes, folded his hands and began chanting his lord's name. Eventually the fire grew and caught-up with the two at the top of the pile. Initially, Holika was all laughing her evil laugh and grinning menacingly as her evil plan had seem to work. All the people of the village were sad and aghast at such cruelty. The King was all pleased with his sister and laughing too…

But soon they all started realising something... The kid wasn't burning at all! They waited and waited but the kid was unscathed… Then suddenly, Holika gave out a yell of horror! She had caught fire…!!! She cried in bewilderment and couldn't understand how was it that her so called fire-proof body was the one burning and not the child??? Agonized and angry she started to tremble and cry for help… The king was aghast too, and tried to help his sister but, very soon, she burned to her death. Prahlada stepped out of the fire totally untouched and unscarred.

The story goes on till when the king is finally defeated by the Lord himself, but that's for another day :)

And hence, to celebrate the death of the evil she-demon and rejoicing the power of devotion people supposedly commemorate this day by burning bonfire. And the next day is celebrated as Holi.

FACE PAINTTTTTT!!!!

Ah, the memories of old… Every year during the start of spring, till I was 11, I had tons of fun running around with a piston full of coloured water and a bag full of small packets of various coloured powder… Me and my gang of kids would go around the entire campus where I lived and would attack others with our weapons :p Everything was done, of course, as gently and in fun ways as possible to not harm them in anyway. We loved smothering each other in colours and spray coloured water from the piston… Parents would keep a tank full of water in each house ready as our reservoirs… Oh, the fun!!! Crazy fun days of laughter. People, strangers and friends alike, would greet each other and wish "happy Holi", then put colour on each other as a friendly gesture… So many bollywood songs especially dedicated to this very festival, so many romances that took place during this time... Some naughty folks pushed it too far sometimes by putting mud  and throwing coloured water balloons on each other just for laughs… Don't worry, I was never that rough… 

Sigh! I really miss the fun I had…

The last I remember playing Holi was when I was 15 at my best friend's home with my family and hers. That was the last time… Oh how I wish those days were back... Well, at least this year I will play it again at Mayflower Park in Southampton on the 7th of June with my international friends, much thanks to their enthusiasm :) Hadn't it been for them I would have stayed in, oblivious to the fun others are having the same way since I left school. Can't contend the excitement :D Well, it is indeed being celebrated a month after the original time (in India) due to the brilliant British weather :p… But still, I can wait another month just for one more chance of being a child again :)


Wishing you loads of Happiness, Love, Joy and colour in life...



Love always,

fJBcy