Know About Holi Festival - Importance of Holi

 Importance Of Holi festival

Holi festival is an important festival of Indian and Nepalese people celebrated in spring. According to the Hindu calendar, this festival is celebrated only on the full moon of Falgun month.

The festival of Holi is a festival of colors and laughter. It is one of the major and famous festivals of India, which is celebrated with joy all over the world today.

This Holika festival, called the festival of color's, is celebrated for two days. This festival is mainly celebrated in India. This festival is celebrated with pomp in many other countries in which minority Hindus live as well.

First of all, Holika is lit in the evening, which is known as Holika Dahan. On the second day people apply colors like Abir-Gulal etc., Holi songs are sung by playing drums with joy and enthusiasm.

People go from house to house and apply color to each other. It is believed that on the day of Holi people forget old bitterness or fight and embrace and become friends again.

In the festival of Holi, the round of painting each other and playing songs lasts till noon.

This popular Holi festival of raga-rang is also the messenger of spring season. Raga and color are not only its main parts, but the nature that takes them to their peak is also at its peak at this time with colorful blooming flowers.

Due to the festival of Holi being celebrated in the month of Phalguna, it is also called Falguni. The festival of Holi starts from Vasant Panchami. Gulal color is blown for the first time on the same day.

Mustard blooms in the fields during the festival of Holi. Flower buds bloom in the gardens and spread the shade of attraction.

Trees, plants, animals, birds and humans all become full of gaiety. Children and old people forget all the stereotypes and dance and music with the tune of drums-cymbals-manjirs get immersed in the colors.

Main dish of Holi Gujiya is the main dish of Holi which is made from Mawa (Khoya) and Maida.

Why is Holi celebrated?

The legend behind celebrating Holi is the story of Prahalad, the son of Asura Hiranyakashipu. He was the majestic king of the Asuras. Hiranyakashipu considered himself a god.

But Prahalad, the son of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and had infinite faith in him.

 Hiranyakashipu did not like this thing of Prahlad at all. Due to this, Hiranyakashipu used to strongly oppose his son's devotion to Lord Vishnu and was unhappy with his son.

Hiranyakashipu used to say that apart from him, no one else can be considered as God. Who is a bigger god than me in this world?

Prahlad is warned many times by Hiranyakashipu that he should not worship Vishnu or else he will be punished with death.

But the devotee Prahalad did not listen to a word of his father Hiranyakashipu and even after giving warnings, he used to be absorbed in the worship of Lord Vishnu.

Hiranyakashipu tried many times to kill his son but every time he failed in his attempt. Because Lord Vishnu used to protect devotee Prahlad.

After all the efforts, Hiranyakashyap thought of taking the help of his sister Holika. Because Holika was given a boon by God that no one can burn Holika in the fire. After this, a pyre is made by Hiranyakashipu by collecting wood.

In which Prahlad is made to sit on Holika's lap and after that the pyre is set on fire.

Devotee Prahlad, even after sitting in the pyre, remains absorbed in the worship of Vishnu and Holika, Hiranyakashipu's sister, is consumed in the fire.

His boon also becomes fruitless because he had misused his boon. On the other hand the devotee Prahlad, even after sitting in the fire, remains safe because of his devotion to Lord Vishnu.

The message in this story is that one day evil comes to an end. Holika Dahan is done on this day in which people pray to end their evils with Holika.

How is Holi celebrated in India?

In India, the festival of Holi has been celebrated with different variations in different states. Holi celebrated in Braj is still the center of attraction of the whole country.

Lathmar Holi celebrated in Barsana is also very famous in India. In this Holi festival, men apply color to women and women beat men with sticks and whips made of cloth.

Similarly, Holi celebrated in Mathura and Vrindavan is of 15 days, in which the festival of Holi is celebrated for 15 days.

In Uttarakhand, classical music seminars are started in the Geet meeting of Kumaon. All these works start several days before Holi.

The practice of harassing brother-in-law by sister-in-law on the day of Holi is prevalent in Dhulandi, Haryana.

In Bengal, Holika festival is celebrated as Dol Jatra as the birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Big processions take place and songs are celebrated with great pomp and music.

Apart from this, cultural programs are organized in Maharashtra along with playing dry gulal in the festival of Holi, Rang Panchami and after taking out a procession in Shimago, Goa.

In Punjab, the festival of Holi is celebrated as a tradition of showing power by the Sikhs in the Hola Mohalla.

In Tamil Nadu, the festival of Holi is celebrated as Kaman Podigai, which is mainly based on the story of Kamadeva, Vasantotsava.

The festival of Holi in South Gujarat is the biggest festival for the tribals here, which they celebrate with great pomp.

Chhattisgarh has a wonderful tradition of folk songs during Holi days and the festival of Holi is celebrated with great pomp in the tribal areas of Malwa region of Madhya Pradesh.

On the holy festival of Holi in Nepal, this country is seen colored with religious and cultural colors.

Similarly, you will see that the festival of Holi is celebrated in different ways in the migrants settled in different countries and religious institutions like ISKCON or Banke Bihari temple of Vrindavan. In which you will find many similarities and differences.