Holi festival

09 March, 2020 - By

Holi: festival of colours

India is the country of the festival and holi is one of them. Holi is popularly known as the Indian "festival of spring", the "festival of colours", or the "festival of love". Holi Festival One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar. The festival signifies the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.The festival also celebrates the beginning of a good spring harvest season.

It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon day) falling in the Vikram Samvat Calendar, in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as Holika Dahan (burning of demon holika) or Chhoti Holi and the following day as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, or Phagwah

Reason of the Holi's celebration or History of the Holi

Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi � a free-for-all festival of colours, where people smear each other with colours and drench each other. Water guns and water-filled balloons are also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and everyone is fair game, friend or stranger, rich or poor, man or woman, children, and elders. The frolic and fight with colours occur in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Groups carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance. People visit family, friends and foes to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. Some customary drinks include bhang (made from cannabis), which is intoxicating. In the evening, after sobering up, people dress up and visit friends and family.

Celebration of holi

People spend the day smearing colored powder all over each other's faces, throwing colored water at each other, having parties, and dancing under water sprinklers. Bhang, a paste made from cannabis plants, is also traditionally consumed as part of the celebrations. Special Holi events with music, rain dances, and colors are organized in large cities across India. Rajasthan is a popular Holi destination for foreign tourists, particularly places such as Pushkar, Jaipur, and Udaipur. Many backpacker hostels organize Holi parties for guests there. Rajasthan Tourism also holds a special Holi festival in Jaipur.