HOLI - The Festival of Colours by Sushan TNS

Holi (also called Holaka or fagwa) is an annual festival celebrated on the day after the full moon in the Hindu month of falgun (early March). It celebrates spring, commemorates various events in Hindu mythology and is time of disregarding social norms and indulging in general merrymaking.

Holi is probably the least religious of Hindu festivals. During Holi, Hindus attend a public bonfire, spray friends and family with colored powders and water, and generally go a bit wild in the streets.

Celebrated all over India since ancient times, holi is precise form and purpose display great variety. Originally, Holi was an agricultural festival celebrating the arrival of spring.

This aspect still plays a significant part in the festival in the form of the colored powders Holi is a time when man and nature alike throw off the gloom of winter and rejoice in the colors and liveliness of spring.

Holi also commemorates various events in Hindu mythology, but for most Hindus it provides a temporary opportunity for Hindus to disregard social norms, indulge in merrymaking and generally "let loose."

In an ancient time there was a demon King named Hiranya Kashyapu who a very cruel atheist demon. Once when he did a very hard penance, then Lord Brahma became very happy and offered him an invincible blessing; means couldn’t be killing by either any man or animal; and either in the day or in the night; or either on the sea or on the ground. This was the hard boons, which he had asked with Brahma; and Brahma had offered him this blessing. Since getting this blessing the demon became very proud; because he thought that no on this earth now can kill him. That’s why he was overwhelmed by his proud. Now he thought that there’s no anyone powerful person than him in this world. So he was bullying and frightening to all.