On this Friday 18th March 2022, the Hindu community is celebrating the festival of colours. Holi, being a popular ancient Hindu festival, is also known as the Festival of Love, the Festival of Colours, or the Festival of Spring. The festival celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha-Krishna and signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it celebrates the victory of Lord Vishnu, as Narasimha Narayana, over Hiranyakashipu.
Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love. For many, it is 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) in the Hindu’s calendar month of Phalguna, which is around mid-March in the Gregorian calendar.
The festival of colours starts with the ceremony of Holika Dahan (burning of Demon Holika). On that occasion, people gather, perform religious rituals in front of the bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the same way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) 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, 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 come together to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks. In the evening, people dress up and visit friends and family.
