Holi

Holi is a big and joyful Hindu festival filled with colors, love, and the beauty of spring. It is a special time that celebrates the love between the deities Radha and Krishna. The festival also remembers the victory of good over evil, honoring the story of Vishnu as Narasimha who overcame Hiranyakashipu.

Holi marks the welcome of spring in India and Nepal, celebrating the end of winter and the blooming of love everywhere. People hope for a good harvest during this time as well. The festival lasts for a night and a day, beginning on the evening of the Purnima, the full moon day, in the month of Phalguna. This usually happens around the middle of March in our regular calendar.

Names

Holi is celebrated by many different names around the world. In Bengal, it is called Dol Jatra or Bôshonto Utshôb, meaning "swing festival" or "spring festival." In Assam, it is known as Phakua or Dôl Jātrā. In Nepal, it is called Phāgu Pūrṇimā. In Odisha, it is Dola jātra. In parts of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand, it is Fagua or Phagua. In the Caribbean islands such as Trinidad and Tobago, Guyana, Suriname, and Jamaica, it is called Phagwah or Phagwa. And in Fiji, it is known as Phagua.

The main day of the celebration is called Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dola Purnima, Dhuleti, Dhulandi, Ukuli, Manjal Kuli, Yaosang, Shigmo, Phagwah, or Jajiri.

About the festival

Holi is a sacred and ancient tradition for Hindus. It is a joyful celebration where people have fun by throwing colored water and powder at each other. This festival is enjoyed by both Hindus and non-Hindus and is widely celebrated across the Indian subcontinent.

Holi marks the end of winter and the arrival of spring, usually taking place in March or sometimes late February. It is a time for people to welcome the colorful season, renew relationships, and let go of past conflicts. The night before Holi, people gather around bonfires in a ceremony called Holika Dahan, where they sing and dance together. The next day, the festival of Holi, also known as Dhuli, Dhulheti, Dhulandi, or Dhulendi, is celebrated with great joy.

History

The Holi festival is an ancient celebration with deep roots in Hindu traditions. It began long ago, even before the Gupta period, and is mentioned in many old writings and stories. Important texts such as the Purva Mimamsa Sutras, Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras, Narada Purana, and Bhavishya Purana all talk about this joyful event. Famous writers like King Harsha, Daṇḍin, and Kālidāsa also wrote about Holi in their works.

By the 17th century, Holi caught the attention of European traders and British colonial workers. Old dictionaries show different ways people spelled the word Holi over time, such as Houly, Hooly, Huli, Hohlee, and finally Holi.
Gupta Purva Mimamsa Sutras Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras Narada Purana Bhavishya Purana _Ratnavali King Harsha Puranas Dasakumara Charita Daṇḍin Kālidāsa Chandragupta II Ratnavali

Gods and goddesses

Radha Krishna

See also: Radha Krishna

In the Braj region of India, the festival of Holi is celebrated until Rang Panchmi to honor the special love between the deities Radha and Krishna. It marks the arrival of spring and is a joyful celebration of love. An ancient text called Garga Samhita was the first to describe how Radha and Krishna played Holi together.

There is a lovely story behind this tradition. When Krishna was young, he worried that Radha might not like him because of his dark skin. His mother, Yashoda, told him to ask Radha to color his face any way she liked. Radha did, and their playful moment has been remembered ever since during Holi.

Beyond India, this story helps explain why Holi, also called Phagwah, is celebrated in some Caribbean communities with roots in Indian culture, such as Guyana, Suriname, Trinidad and Tobago, and Jamaica. It is also a big celebration in Mauritius, Fiji, and South Africa.

Background

Another important story behind Holi comes from an ancient text called the Bhagavata Purana. It tells of a king named Hiranyakashipu who wanted everyone to worship only him. His son, Prahlada, loved the god Vishnu instead, which made the king very angry. The king tried many harsh ways to punish his son, but Prahlada remained strong in his beliefs.

Finally, Prahlada’s evil aunt, Holika, tried to trick him by sitting with him on a fire. Holika had magic protection from fire, but Prahlada did not. The magic cloak flew to Prahlada, saving him, while Holika burned. This story shows the victory of good over evil. The god Vishnu appeared as Narasimha to defeat the king, and Holi celebrates this triumph.

Kama and Rati

Among other Hindu traditions, Holi is also linked to the god Shiva. The goddess Parvati wanted Shiva to return to the world, so she asked the god of love, Kamadeva, for help. Kamadeva shot arrows at Shiva, but Shiva opened his third eye and turned Kamadeva to ashes. This upset Kamadeva’s wife, Rati, and Parvati. Rati meditated for forty days, and Shiva forgave her and brought Kamadeva back. This return of the god of love is celebrated as Holi, which occurs forty days after the festival of Vasant Panchami. This story has many different versions, especially in South India.

Influence

The Holi festival holds deep cultural meaning for many Hindu traditions in the Indian subcontinent. It is a joyful day when people come together to let go of past mistakes, forgive each other, and start fresh. It marks the beginning of spring, a time for enjoying the new season and making new friends.

Holi is especially important in the Braj region, which includes places like Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Barsana, and Gokula that are linked to the stories of Radha Krishna. These places become popular with visitors during Holi.

Beyond India, Holi is celebrated by Hindus in Nepal, Bangladesh, and Pakistan, as well as in many other countries where people from India have settled. The way Holi is celebrated can differ depending on where you are.

Sikhs have also celebrated Holi historically. Guru Gobind Singh added a three-day event called Hola Mohalla after Holi, where Sikh soldiers practiced martial arts and other skills in Anandpur Sahib. During the time of the Mughal Empire in India, Holi was celebrated with great enthusiasm, even by some emperors, though there were times when it was not allowed.

Celebrations

The night before Holi is called Holika Dahan. People gather around a bonfire to celebrate the victory of good over evil and the welcoming of the new. They perform rituals such as singing and dancing around the fire. This tradition comes from the story of Holika, who tried to harm a young boy but was burned instead, while the boy remained safe.

The next day, known as Rangwali Holi, people enjoy playing with colors. They use water guns and colored balloons to splash each other. Groups walk around singing, dancing, and playing music. Friends and family visit each other, share meals, and celebrate together. Holi is also a time for forgiveness and new beginnings, bringing people closer in harmony. In some places, special poetry gatherings are held in the evening.

Holi colours

Traditional sources of colours

During spring, the weather changes and can make people feel sick. People throw natural coloured powders, called gulal, which can help. These colours come from plants like palash, neem, kumkum, haldi, and bilva, as suggested by Āyurvedic doctors.

Many colours come from mixing others. Here are some traditional ways to get colours:

Orange and red colour

The flowers of the palash tree give bright red and orange colours. Other sources include sandalwood, hibiscus, madder tree, radish, and pomegranate. Mixing lime with turmeric or boiling saffron can also make orange.

Green colour

Mehendi and dried gulmohur leaves are sources of green. Some people also use spring leaves and herbs.

Yellow colour

Turmeric powder, or haldi, is a common yellow colour. It can be mixed with chickpea flour. Bael fruit, amaltas, chrysanthemums, and marigold are other yellow sources.

Blue colour

The Indigo plant, Indian berries, grapes, blue hibiscus, and jacaranda flowers give blue colours.

Magenta and purple colour

Beetroot is used to make magenta and purple colours by boiling it in water.

Brown colour

Dried tea leaves can make brown coloured water. Certain clays are also used.

Black colour

Grapes, amla fruits, and vegetable carbon can create grey to black colours.

Influence on other cultures

Holi is enjoyed as a social event in parts of the United States. You can find celebrations at the Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New York, and Festival of Colors: Holi NYC in New York City, New York.

Many Holi-inspired events have also started, especially in Europe and the United States. These events are often organized by companies for fun or to support a good cause. Some examples include Holi-inspired music festivals like the Festival Of Colours Tour and Holi One, where colored powder is thrown at certain times. There are also 5K run events such as The Color Run, Holi Run, and Color Me Rad, where runners get sprayed with colored powder at each kilometre. The BiH Color Festival is a Holi-inspired electronic music festival held every year in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Issues

Some colours used during the Holi festival can be harmful. A study from 2007 showed that a blue-green dye called malachite green can irritate eyes if not washed off right away. Another study from 2009 found that some colours sold in India contain strong industrial dyes that can cause skin problems. These colours are often made without safety checks and sold without labels, so people don’t always know what’s in them.

Because of these concerns, many groups are working to make Holi safer. Some groups help children learn how to make their own colours from natural ingredients like vegetables and flowers. Some companies now sell “herbal” dyes, but they cost more than the usual colours. In many rural areas, people have always used natural colours because they are easy to find. In cities, some people wear masks and sunglasses to protect themselves from the strong pigments.

The use of certain dyes can also temporarily pollute water, but the water usually returns to normal within five days after the festival.

malachite green Development Alternatives, Delhi Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group, Pune wastewater