As the scorching heat has started to replace the windy cool breeze of the winters, one of the widely celebrated festivals of India, Holi, has also arrived. With Covid 19 pandemic restrictions constraining group gatherings for nearly two consecutive years, this Holi is certainly about to get more loud and lively as gatherings are unrestricted. The celebrations can certainly get merrier with a larger group of friends and family as happiness grows when it's shared with others. The Hindu festival is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. The historic legend behind the celebrations is about how Lord Vishnu's Narshima avatar ends the reign of an evil king to save his ardent and loyal devotee. Numerous states across the country witness the elaborate and joyous celebration of the festival of colours. The most amusing and enchanting celebration of Holi can be seen in the lands of Mathura and Vrindavan. The devotees of Lord Krishna and Radha celebrate the true love of the Radha Krishna pair. The sight of charming Holi of the BrijBhoomi is certainly a sight one needs to experience once in a lifetime. The festival also marks the beginning of spring in India and here are 10 interesting facts to know about the day of colours:
1. Holi is a two-day celebration that starts with bonfires being lit up on day one, followed by the exchanging of colours between individuals on day two. The day one celebration of setting bonfires is called Holika Dahan and day two continues as an extravaganza of colours.
2. As per Hindu mythology, the demon king Hiranyakashyap who was blessed with power by the gods had started wreaking havoc on earth. The demonic leader tortures his people and had forced every human in his kingdom to start preaching to him as their lord. On the other hand, Hiranyakashyap's pious son was a faithful devotee of Lord Vishu. Even after multiple threats by Hiranyakashyap, his son Prahlad continued to worship Lord Vishnu.
3. Angered by the fact that Prahlad ignored his commands and threats, Hiranyakashyap tried killing his own son several times but none of his petty tricks seemed to work. At this point, Hiranyakashyap's sister Holika offered to help his brother get rid of the Vishnu devotee in the demon family. The brother and sister decided to kill Prahlad by incinerating him.
4. As Holika was blessed to be immune to fire, she suggested that she would lure Prahlad into a pyre and hold him there to avoid any chances of his escaping death this time. Much to the surprise of the people around, Prahlad was saved from the blazing fire by Lord Vishu while Hiranyakashyap's sister Holika herself was burned to death. Thus, Holika Dahan is celebrated a day before to celebrate the burning of evil and revival of goodness.
5. People also believe that the Holika Dahan celebrations signify that people should burn and destroy their evil thoughts and intentions with fire and welcome the celebration of Holi with a pure and peaceful mind.
6. The death of Holika had not yet ended the reign of the demonic merciless king who feared no one. As per the religious scriptures of the Hindus, Lord Vishu reincarnates into the land whenever the natural balance created by him is disrupted. To reinstate the balance in the human world, Lord Vishnu's Narasimha had come to end the reign of the demon king and rescue his loyal devotee Prahlad.
7. As the Narsimha killed Hiranyakashipiu and saved the life of his ardent follower, the kingdom rejoiced and celebrated the end of torture and oppression of the evil king. This celebration is now performed as Holi.
8. One of the most magnificent and gorgeous Holi celebrations is witnessed in the streets of Vrindavan, Mathura or the Braj Bhumi. Traditional Holi is played in the Braj Bhumi, Land of Lord Krishna. The Holi celebrations inland of Krishna celebrate the love of Radha and Krishna.
9. The Holi of Braj Bhumi is one of the most fascinating and amazing experiences of the festival. With flowers, colours of red and yellow and lathis, the Holi of Mathura and Vrindavan are unparalleled. The widows celebration the festivals with bright red colour is just another silver lining to the cloud, Brij Holi is a majestic affair.
10. The festivities remain incomplete without the Holi special sweet gujia, Bhang and thandai. One of the craziest parts about Holi is the traditional Indian intoxicating drink, Bhang, which is part of the festive eateries of Holi. It is often consumed with thandai which is a drink made with creamy lassi.
