Holi in India

Holi is one of the major festival of India and is the most vibrant of all. The joys of Holi knows no bound. The festival is celebrated across the four corners of India or rather across the globe. The festival is filled with so much fun and frolic that the very mention of the word 'Holi' draws smile and enthusiasm amongst the people. Holi also celebrates the arrival of Spring, a season of joy and hope.

Legend of Holi Festival
Holi is one of the oldest festivals of India. There are many interesting stories associated with the festival's origin as one moves across the different states from North to South and East to West. Paintings and scriptures depict the roots of the festival. Mythology plays a very important part in narrating the festival of Holi. The most popular stories of Holi origin relates to 'Holika Dahan' and Legend of Radha-Krishan.

Story of Holika
Integrally entwined with Holi, is the tradition of 'Holika Dahan', which is actually lighting of bonfires. The ritual is symbolic of victory of good over evil and has its root in the legend of demon king Hiranyakashyap who wished to end his blessed son, Prahlad's life with the help of his sister, Holika who burnt in the fir and no harm occurred to Prahlad. Since then the day is celebrated in victory of good over bad.

Story of Radha and Krishan
The legend of Radha and Krishna is closely linked with this tradition of colors on Holi. Young Krishna, who had a dark complexion was jealous of his beloved Radha's extremely fair skin. In a mischievous mood, he applied color on Radha's face. Following this ancient legend, lovers till date long to color their beloved as an expression of love.

Holi Celebrations in India
Holi is famous as Basant Utsav in rural India. It is one of the major festivals in India and is celebrated with extreme enthusiasm and joy. Gulal, abeer and pichkaris are synonymous with the festival. Elaborate plans are made to color the loved ones. Everybody wants to be the first one to color the other. In the ensuing battle of colors, everybody is drowned not just in colors of gulal but also in love and mirth. People love to drench others and themselves in colored water. Gujiyas and other sweets are offered to everyone who comes across to color.

Temples are beautifully decorated at the time of Holi. Idol of Radha is placed on swings and devotees turn the swings singing devotional Holi songs. Now-a-days small plays are organized reflecting the spirit of the festival.

What is remarkably same across the country is the spirit of Holi. Fun, frolic, boisterousness to the extent of buffoonery marks this festival of colors. What more can be expected- when the people get a social sanction to get intoxicated on the bhang, open not just their hearts' out but also their lungs. And viola, nobody is expected to take offense too, as the norm of the day is, 'Bura na mano Holi hai'.

Holi in Andhra Pradesh

Though the celebrations of Holi in South India are not as grand as compared to that in North India. Yet, what is particularly noticeable in Andhra Pradesh as in other Dravidian states is the heightened feeling of communal harmony. Here too, people participate in merry making. Besides, in the evening, youngsters play with dry colours and seek elders' blessings by putting gulal and abeer on the feet of the elders.
The Banjara tribes of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Holi in their own way. Graceful dances are performed by the colourful Banjara gypsies.

Holi in Bengal

There is a particular elan in the way Holi is celebrated in the state of West Bengal. Panache is added by the presence of the rich Bengal culture and the existence of Shantiniketan.

Basant Utsav
The high point of this state is the celebration of 'Basant Utsav'. The tradition was reintroduced by poet and Nobel laureate Rabindranath Tagore at Shantiniketan, the University he founded. 'Basant Utsav' means 'Spring Festival', here boys and girls joyfully welcome Spring, the season of Hope not just with colours but with songs, dance, chanting of hymns in the serene ambiance of Shantiniketan.

Dol Purnima
On the Dol Purnima day in the early morning, the students dress up in saffron-coloured clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments presenting an enchanting view to the onlookers and a memory to cherish for years.

In Bengal, Holi is known by the name of 'Dol Jatra', 'Dol Purnima' or the 'Swing Festival'. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the idols of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken round the main streets of the city. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs. All this while men keep spraying coloured water and colour powder, 'abeer' at them.

The head of the family, observes fast and prays to Lord Krishna and Agnidev. After all the traditional rituals are over, he smears Krishna's idol with gulal and offers "bhog" to both Krishna and Agnidev.


Holi in Bihar

Holi is celebrated with the same fervour and charm in Bihar as in rest of north India. Here too, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dung cakes, wood of Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves in the bonfire. Following the tradition people also clean their houses for the day.

At the time of Holika people assemble near the fire. The eldest member or a purohit initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and lot of frolic.

Children and the youth take extreme delight in the festival. Though the festival is usually played with colours at some places people also enjoy playing holi with mud. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the tune of dholak and the spirit of Holi.

Intoxicating bhang is consumed with a variety of mouth watering delicacies such as pakoras and thandai to enhance the mood of the festival.


Holi in Delhi

Delhi being the capital and the heart of India, celebrates Holi with extreme enthusiasm.

Being a metro city, an amalgamation of cultures and traditions can be witnessed here. Virtually all aspects of Holi as seen in various states are noticeable in the numerous pockets of Delhi.

People move out in tolis and apply colour on each other till they become unrecognizable. Play with colors peaks up in the residential colonies as people usually do not go out with families beyond their neighborhood. Even public conveyances do no ply with usual frequency.

Feasts, music, dancing and blasting parties are held all over the city to mark the festival of colours. People hug and greet each other by applying abeer as tilak. Any feeling of hardship or animosity is forgotten on the day. Is is said that even the enemies become friend on Holi.

On the eve of Holi, bonfires or Holika are lit in the important centres of the city where people celebrate the victory of good over evil. Wood for burning Holika is collected weeks before the festival.

Being a political hub of the country, Delhi sees huge enthusiasm even among the politicians. Holi is also celebrated at the Presidents and Prime Minister residences where people gather to play Holi. Cultural events and lots of fun mark the day.


Holi in Goa

The energetic people of Goa do not lag behind the rest of the country when it comes to Holi celebrations. The festival of spring is called Shigmo in Goa. The festival is celebrated mostly by the masses following all religious traditions. As expected from the Goans, the festival is accompanied with fanfare. Performance on drumbeats and epic enactment of mythology are religiously followed. Vivid and vibrant colours of gulal and neel are abundantly used. Shigmotav is highlighted with performances of troupes in the form of parades and cultural dramas. At dusk, huge effigies are taken in processions and prizes given away.

The Panaji Shigmotsav Samiti also organizes a parade in Panaji. Besides, numerous temple around Goa also make special arrangements for Holi celebrations. Of interest is the celebrations at Panaji, Mapusa, Vasco Da Gama and Margao.


Holi in Uttar Pradesh

Celebrations in UP are not just restricted to Mathura and Vrindavan. Rather, every nook and corner of the state gets wrapped in the multitude hues of the Holi. In this rather, conservative state Holi gives license to the youth to mingle freely and give colourful expressions to their feelings for each other.
Not to be missed are the mouthwatering delicacies the state has for the festival. Gujiaya, mathri, dahi badas are a must besides many others festival goodies.

Holika Dahan
The major ritual of Holi in this state, is the lighting of bonfires, better known as Holika on Chhoti Holi on a day prior to the main Holi. The tradition signifies the victory of good over evil and finds its root in the various legends associated with the festival. Mainly, the story of demon king Hiranyakashyap. The King planned the death of his son, Prahlad an ardent devotee of Lord Naraayana with the help of his sister Holika. Prahlad was saved by the grace of God while Holika was consumed by fire.

Bhang
Description of Holi is incomplete without the mention of Bhang (cannabis).Holi has become synonymous with it for many. The tradition of eating bhang -- an intoxicating substance is rampant in northern India. It is usually consumed in the form of laddoo or as thandai. Consumption of bhang adds greatly to the revelry as people get high on it.

The land of Shiva, Banaras (or Varanasi as it is now known), is specially famous for its high level of bhang consumption. Sitting on the 'ghats' or steps leading to the Ganga river, people drenched in colours can be seen grinding bhang and mixing it with milk and various dry fruits to enhance the taste.

Celebration of Barley Harvest
The festival is also the celebration of barley harvest. On Chhoti Holi, people come together to light the fire. They bury a pot of new barley seeds under the pyre for roasting. These seeds are eaten after the fire is extinguished. Divinations for the coming harvest are cast by interpreting the direction of the flames or by the state of the seeds in the buried pot. People sometimes take embers from the fire to their homes to rekindle their own domestic fires. The ashes from the Holi fire are also believed to provide protection against diseases.