The tender green leaves on the trees, flowers in the garden and the sweet calls of the cuckoo mark the advent of a new season that is Spring. Expressing the joy and freshness of spring is the festival of Holi, with its splurge of colours. Holi announces the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. People bury their hatchets, reinvent relationships and throw their worries to the wind. Age is of no consequence. Both the young and old alike are doused with colours.

Holi legends

According to one popular legend, the word Holi is derived from the demoness, Holika. She was the sister of Hiranyakashyap, a demon king, who, having defeated the Gods, proclaimed his supremacy over everyone else in the Universe. Enraged over his son, Prahlad's ardent devotion to Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashyap decided to punish him. He took the help of his sister, Holika, who was immune to any damage from fire. Holika carried Prahlad into the fire but a divine intervention destroyed her and saved Prahlad from getting burned. Thus, Holi is celebrated to mark the burning of the evil Holika. It is a celebration of the triumph of good over evil.

Holi is celebrated throughout India but is more predominant in North India. Preparations for the festival begin a week ahead. Houses are whitewashed, beautiful floral designs are drawn at the entrance, and powdered colours and spraying pistons are bought. In earlier days, the colours were extracted from a flower that blossoms only during this festival. The spray guns were made of bamboo sticks. But over the years, colours are made artificially and pistons made of different materials are available in various designs.

In South India, Holi is not celebrated with as much fervour as it is in the north. But the spirit of communal harmony is very high. People indulge in merry-making, and playing with coloured water is a common sight. Like all other festivals, Holi brings home the lesson of spiritual and social harmony.

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