3 6 2004 51323

Holi - The Festival of Colors

The onset of spring in the tropical countries is the beginning of longer days and shorter nights. In India, the most significant festival that actually revels in the experience of color, the sprays of cheers is Holi, which is the festival of colors.

Across the globe, spring is the time of color, revelry and new beginnings. In snow-ridden countries, there are festivals that celebrate the onset of spring, that's their little patch of sunshine for just a few months. Like everything else about the culture of India, Holi too has a history of a few thousand years. In its literal sense, the word, signifies the act of burning. The night before the colors are celebrated, there is a public and family bonfire that is supposed to use all our base desires and evils in each of us, as its fuel. The story goes that a few thousand years ago, there lived a demon king in India, Hiranyakashyap. His younger brother had been killed by one of the Gods- Vishnu and he wanted revenge. He played havoc with the three worlds, the earth, heaven and the nether world, till the Gods could take it no more. This king had a pious young son named Prahlad, who was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. Much to his father's chagrin, the young boy continued in his devotion, and the father ultimately planned to kill his son. In this venture he asked his sister Holika (another demon), for help. She had been granted a boon of immortality and immunity from fire, so they planned for her to sit on a pyre with Prahlad on her lap, hoping he would be burnt to ashes. But Prahlad's powers of devotion actually reduced Holika to ashes. The actual celebration, however, has different connotations. It is not about religion, spirituality, or gravity, but only about fun, frolicking, and some flirting as well. Around the time of the year when winters in Northern India recede and the warmth of the day increase, a young boy would play with the girls and other milk maidens of his village, drenching their clothes with colored water, breaking their pots so they could do little to save themselves. This young boy was Lord Krishna, who lived in the North Western province of Braj, in India, about 4500 years ago. He was known to be an incarnation of Lord Vishnu, and made no bones about his power. At the same time, it did not make him grave or vain. Krishna is the quintessential young man. Right from childhood, he was known to steal butter and yogurt from their community kitchens, and the women of the village were indulgent enough to let him. His pranks grew with his age, and then it was the turn of the village girls to be lured. In the traditional society, where girls and boys were kept completely apart, Holi was one day when every young heart danced with happiness. The festival, thus, was not about spirituality, but about life. Some say, it was the wise way of Krishna who believed in living life well, was no ascetic himself, that he encouraged this celebration to ensure a peaceful community life, a harmonious relationship between sexes, and an outlet to relieve stress from daily life. And today, thousands of years later, his descendents celebrate the festival in the same manner. Over the years, colors have changed. They used to be vegetable dyes, now there are all the varieties of pigments available. The festival has spread to the entire country, even to areas that in Krishna's days, had Dravidian cultures and where the inhabitants were Mongol races. Nowadays, it is also celebrated overseas where a large number of Indians live. Over the last 4500 years, Holi has become one of India's main festivals. However, in Braj, where Krishna started it, has a life of its own. Traditionally on this auspicious occasion, in the town of Barsana, women cover their heads and hide their faces and beat their men folk with long wooden sticks. This activity starts a week before the actual festival and the best part is, men cannot retaliate! Men have to resort to padded clothes and also manage to escape, for if they get caught by the females of the town, they are lead away, thrashed, made to dress in feminine clothes and dance. The next day, there are clouds of color, as men take their own in catching the women and coloring them at will. Traditional dyes are used, especially those made from the flame of forest flower, called `palaash' or, `tesu' in this region. It is only on the following day that the rest of the country celebrates Holi, in a much milder and meek manner. Everyone just splashes colored water over everyone else, eats and drinks and celebrates the day. However, with changing times, the ways have also changed. Due to increased awareness, many people have started opting for natural dyes. Some people organize a special retreat for their family and friends wherein only people close to them celebrate the festival and enjoy.

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