Holi: how to celebrate the Festival of Colours in India

8/19/2019 Holi: how to celebrate the Festival of Colours in India

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One of the major festivals of India,Holi is celebrated with enthusiasmand gaiety on the full moon day inthe month of Phalgun which is themonth of March as per the

Gregorian calendar.

Holi festival may be celebratedwith various names and people ofdierent states might be followingdierent traditions. !ut, whatma"es Holi so uni#ue and special isthe spirit of it which remains thesame throughout the country andeven across the globe, wherever itis celebrated.


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$ntire country wears a festive loo" whenit is time for Holi celebration. Mar"etplaces get a bu%% with activity asfren%ied shoppers start ma"ingpreparations for the festival. Heaps ofvarious hues of gulal and abeer can be

seen on the roadside days before thefestival. Pichkaris in innovative andmodern design too come up every yearto lure the children who wish to collectthem as Holi memorabilia and of course,to drench everybody in the town.

&omenfol" too start ma"ing earlypreparations for the holi festival as theycoo" loads of gujiya, mathri andpapri for the family and also for therelatives. 't some places specially in the

north women also ma"e papads andotato chi s at this time.


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$verybody gets delighted atthe arrival of Holi. Holi isalso called the SpringFestival - as it mar"s thearrival of spring the seasonof hope and joy. (he gloomof the winter goes as Holipromises of bright summer

days. )ields get *lled withcrops promising a goodharvest to the farmers.


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' Hindu festival, Holi has various legendsassociated with it. (he foremost is thelegend of demon"ing Hiranya"ashyap who demandedeverybody in his "ingdom to worship himbut his pious son, +rahlad became adevotee of ord -ishnu. Hiranya"ashyap

wanted his son to be "illed. He as"ed hissister Holi"a to enter a bla%ing *re with+rahlad in her lap as Holi"a had a boonwhich made he immune to *re. tory goesthat +rahlad was saved by lord himself forhis e/treme devotion and evil minded

Holi"a was burnt to ashes, for her boonwor"ed only when she entered the *realone.

ince that time, people light a bon*re,called Holi"a on the eve of Holi festival

and celebrate the victory of good over eviland also the triumph of devotion to God.


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0hildren ta"e special delightin the tradition and this hasanother legend attached toit. It says that there was

once anogress Dhundhi who usedto trouble children in the"ingdom of +rithu. he was

chased away by children onthe day of Holi. (herefore,children are allowed to playpran"s at the time of 1Holi"a

2ahan1.


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On the eve of Holi, called 0hhoti ormall Holi people gather at importantcrossroads and light huge bon*res,

the ceremony is called Holi"a 2ahan.(his tradition is also followed inGujarat and Orissa. (o rendergreatfulness to 'gni, God of )ire,

gram and stal"s from the harvest arealso oered to 'gni with all humility.'sh left from this bon*re is alsoconsidered sacred and people apply iton their foreheads. +eople believe

that the ash protects them from evil


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Great e/citement can be seen inpeople on the ne/t day when it isactually the time for the play ofcolors. hops and o3ces remainclosed for the day and people get allthe time to get cra%y and whac"y.

!right colours of gulal and abeer *llthe air and people ta"e turns inpouring colour water over each other.0hildren ta"e special delight inspraying colours on one another withtheir pich"aris and throwing water

balloons on passers by. &omen andsenior citi%en form groupscalled tolis and move in colonies 4applying colours and e/changinggreetings. ongs, dance on therhythm of dholak and mouthwatering

Holi delicacies are the otherhighlights of the day.


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overs too long to apply colourson their beloved. (his has apopular legend behind it. It issaid that the naughty andmischievous ord 5rishna started

the trend of playing colours. Heapplied colour on her beloved6adha to ma"e her one li"e him.(he trend soon gained popularity

amongst the masses. 7o wonder,there is no match to the Holi ofMathura, -rindavan and !arsana4 the places associated with thebirth and childhood of 6adha and5rishna.


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eals of red pom egranate boiled

in water or crushed dry red rose

petals


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Crushed dry marigold flower petals or

turmeric powder mixed in water


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Berries of indigo plant or crushed dry Jacaranda

flower


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Beetroot grated and soaked in water or

Peeled onion soaked in water.


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Fine paste of mint or

spinach or dry mehendi

powder


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Don’t play colours with unwilling

persons.

Don’t offend sensitivity of others. Don’t throw water or balloons at

passers- by. Don’t throw dirt and chemicals on

people. Don’t indulge in eve teasing.

Holi: how to celebrate the Festival of Colours in India

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