Basic of Holi

Holi, the festival of color is celebrated with color.In southern part of Asia, This festival is celebrated as farewell of winter and welcoming of summer. Holi festival is celebrated in full moon day in Phalgun and Hence, Holi is also called Fagu Purnima.

Holi has come from Sanskrit word Dhuli.Holi is the festival of color, friendships and love. Holi welcome spring and summer. Some are celebrate holi to get blessing of God for harvesting and fertility of their land. This festival is celebrated in most of South Asian counties.

Often Holi starts one week before the main day of Holi in Nepal . Holi is celebrated with colors, water, sweets and music. People put color on each other they go houses of relatives and friends in group, force to to put color and make gather dance, sing, play music and move here and there whole day. People in Terai celebrate Holi the next day from Kathmandu Valley and other hilly reason of Nepal.

Actually, there was various tradition of bringing Holi from places to places, so there is no fixed date for all the places for holi celebration.

Some of the peoples make Pichkari (water guns) out of bamboo or other formula. And throw colored water on each other. But the tradition is changing and now-a-days balloons and plastic water guns (pichkari) are used. The balloon filled with water is called Lola in Nepali.

Some collects wood and burn fires and play music and performs dances. Some drink bhang and go crazy and make jokes. The burning of the wood has important part of Holi celebration. This is called Holika Dahan which is known as end of Holika.

Stories behind Holi

There are varies stories behind the Holi celebration.

Lord Krishna and Radha

Lord Krishna was black in color and was frequently complaining his mother Asodha that all his girl friends were teasing him saying “kale krishna” “krishna kale Nakkale”. And ask her, “why was he dark when his all of his girl-friends Gopanis were fair?”

One day Krishna mother “Yashodha” gave Krishna different colors and asked him to throw it on Gopinis’ faces so they would look dark too. Krishna did as his mother said. Gopinies love color game and were fell in love with Krishna. So from that day the Holi is celebrated as the color of love.

Death of Holika

Holi is celebrated as the celebration of Holika deth. Praladh was son of Hiranyakasyapu. He was a demon who started thinking he was only the powerful, and can ruled this Universe.

After the birth of Praladh, Hiranyakasyapu come an tense because Praladh was devotee of Lord Vishnu, while Hiranyakashyapu wanted all to worship him only. At first Hiranyakashyapu tried to convience his son with various ways, but he can’t successed. Praladh continuously worship Lord Vishnu.

latter on Hiranyakasyapu father of Pralhad’s own father, planned to kill his five year old son. He asked his sister Holika to kill Praladh. Holika was blessed with a fire proof dress.Fire flame did not used to effect to Holika. She went to flame with carrying Praladh. but, due to devotion of Praladh Lord Krishna burnt Holika and safely rescued Praladh.

Holika Dahan, means the end of Holika became Holi. People celebrated the end of Holika with colors, so the festival Holika Dahan became later Holi.

Krishna and Draupadi

Holi is celebrated to remember the love to Krishna to Draupadi. When Kauravs were pulling Draupadi Sari, Lord Krihna made the sari endless. Lord Krishna saved Draupadi and this day is celebrated as Holi.

Dhundi and boys

Once in the kingdom of Prithu, Dhundhi, horrible ogress started giving trouble to children. She would not be killed by gods, men even not hurt by any weapon. She would not affected by heat, cold, snow or rain. She was blessed by Lord Shiva no one can do against her. However, due to a curse of Lord Shiva, she had no immune to resist the pranks and abuses of young boys.

One day, The king Raghu was able to arrange some young boys and ask them to do something that should annoyed that ogress should leave the kingdom forever. According to the king boys on the day of Fagun Purnima started to collect woods put them fire and started dancing and speaking crazy. They took little intoxicated on bhang and chased Dhundi to the boarder of the kingdom by beating drums, making loud noise, shouting obscenities and hurling insults at her and continued doing this until she left the place for ever. It is said the same tradition is continued and people take some bhang in this day, burn fire and dance, play drums and jokes around.