Festival of Colours: From the victory of good over evil to the celebration of divine love of deities Radha Krishna, Holi holds major significance!
As the winter season concludes and summer sets in, the month of March is a time when the Hindu festival Holi falls! The festival is celebrated as not only the “Festival of Colours” but also of love and spring. Holi originated and is predominantly commemorated in the Indian subcontinent. However, through the Indian diaspora, it has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world.
Why Holi Is Celebrated? The festival has three major significance:
a) Victory of good over evil
b) Celebration of the divine love of deities Radha Krishna and
c) Arrival of Spring
Why Holi is Celebrated? Triumph of good over evil
The day signifies the victory of good over evil, as people celebrate the victory of Lord Vishnu (as Narasimha – half human and half lion) over Hiranyakashipu.
King Hiranyakashipu, (the father of Prahlada) was the king of wicked Asuras. He had acquired a boon that gave him five special powers:
1) He could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal
2) Neither indoors nor outdoors
3) Neither at day nor at night
4) Neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and
5) Neither on land nor in water or air
The king grew arrogant. He thought he was the God and insisted that everyone worship only him.
As per the traditional saying, Hiranyakashipu’s son, Prahlada, however, stayed devoted to Lord Vishnu. This fumed the king. He subjected his son to harsh punishments. Finally, Holika, Prahlada’s evil aunt, misled him into sitting on a pyre with her. She was wearing a cloak (that made her immune to harm from fire), while Prahlada was not!
As the blaze started, the cloak flew from Holika and covered Prahlada. He survived while Holika did not! Lord Vishnu took the form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took the king at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), put him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).
Holi: Festival of eternal and divine love!
Holi festival also celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. In the Braj region of India, the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up. Here, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their holy love for each other.
Holi: Arrival of spring
The festival also celebrates the arrival of spring in India (the end of winter season). It is also a prayer to God for a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day. The festival begins in the evening of the Purnima (full moon day) occurring in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna (month of March in the Gregorian calendar).