Holi: Not only a Religious but a Cultural and Spiritual Festival

Lalit Garg

(The writer can be reached at lalitgarg11@gmail.com)

Holi is not only a religious but also a cultural festival; this festival is a unique opportunity to share happiness, love, and positivity. The biggest quality of our culture is that all the festivals celebrated here enhance the love, unity, and goodwill among the people by establishing human qualities in the society. The spirit behind all the festivals celebrated here is to provide everything from prosperity to human dignity. Holi has a special message that just as nature is full of colours, life should also be full of colours. The colours of life should be such that there is deep reverence in God along with oneself. Holi is a perfect festival in terms of purity associated with any festival. It is a unique festival that is associated not only with the body but also with the soul. Holi is a festival of happiness. The happiness in us is also the colour of our soul.

In fact, Holi is the festival of fun and laughter. The most famous story about this festival is also in relation to Prahlada and Holika. Naradapurana states that Prahlada, the son of a demon named Hiranyakashipu, was an exclusive Hari-bhakta, while Hiranyakashipu considered Narayana to be his ultimate enemy. There was also a severe punishment system for chanting the name of Narayana or Srihari in his kingdom. Seeing his son as a Hari-bhakta, he warned many times, but a supreme devotee like Prahlada was always absorbed in piety. His father tried to kill him several times by taking various measures. But he survived every time by the grace of Narayana. Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, had the boon of not burning in fire. So she entered the fire with her nephew Prahlada in her lap. But by the grace of God, Prahlada came out alive, and Holika was burnt. The festival of Holi signifies ‘Victory of Truth over Untruth’ and ‘Victory of Virtue over Misconduct.’ In this way, the festival of Holi also symbolizes the victory of truth, justice, devotion, and faith and the destruction of injustice, sin, and demonic practices.

Holi is a festival that breaks all our limits and unites us. That is why we colour each other and say, ‘May your life also be full of colours.’ Apart from the euphoria of colours, there are many other mythological stories to celebrate on the festival of Holi. In Northeast India, Holika Dahan is celebrated as the slaughter day of the demonic Putna by Lord Krishna, as Putna Daah. In South India it is believed that on this day Lord Shiva consumed the third eye shell of Kamadeva, and he danced with the ashes on his body. Thereafter, Lord Shiva revived Kamadeva, being moved by the grief of Kamadeva’s wife Rati, which pleased the gods and showered them with colours. For this reason, on the eve of Holi, fire is ignited in South India, and sugarcane, mango blossom, and sandalwood are added to it. Here, sugarcane symbolizes the bow of Cupid, the mango blossom of Cupid, and the burning of Cupid by the burning fire of Shiva, with sandalwood to calm Kamadeva for burning with fire.

Many cultural and public-related programs are held to celebrate Holi. The events of Holi in metropolitan culture have given Holi a new zeal and enthusiasm. In these events, there are cultural programs where songs are played. Ghoomar is a Rajasthani event associated with Holi, and people get excited about it. Delicious food items with sandalwood tilak and refresher drinks are served in this festival. In the night, ghoomar, dandiya dance, and singing troupes from different regions enhance the fun and joy through their performances as the night progresses. Today, due to pollution and damage to the environment, the entire environment has become polluted and fearful; all the colours of life have fallen away. There is no mutual trust, no mutual love, nor a sublime feeling of cooperation, nor does the tone of unity arise. No one holds hands in the crowd. Like this, the divided mind is standing alone in the hope of finding everything again. How false is this wait, how much meaning is there in its reception? Let us also bring together the countless possibilities of the future and create a conscious atmosphere again. Make a pledge to fill the colour of truth in it. Holi requires an atmosphere and a mind too; a mind where we are all one and uproot the filthy layers of the mind so that all the faces reflected in the mirror of the undivided mind can be felt by us.

The grand hues of Holi are seen in Mathura and Vrindavan. With the arrival of Basantotsav, the atmosphere of Vrindavan is enveloped by a wonderful fun; the festival of spring is also celebrated with great pomp here. The joy of this festival does not slow down after it starts during the cool month of Falgun. The traditions of the Falgun month and Holi are related to the pastimes of Shri Krishna and have special significance in the devotee’s heart. Celebrating the colourful and joyous festival of Holi with a full devotion to Shri Krishna is a unique experience. Falgun Shukla Ekadashi has special significance in the city of temples, Vrindavan. On this day, playing with the colours of Holi starts in the traditional form.

In order to paint themselves in the colours of this divine month, devotees come to Vrindavan from far-off places and celebrate Holi with full enthusiasm. The environment of Vrindavan is filled with Shri Krishna vibes, and the fun of Holi prevails in that too. The special heart-touching dance of the group of devotees is very attractive when it is performed in the holy land of Vrindavan. There is no kind of worry and no malice; only a pleasant atmosphere prevails. To organize Holi in its entirety, we need not only the mind but also the atmosphere, and this is seen in Vrindavan.

The word Holi means purity in the English language. Purity is useful to every person, and if the heritage of purity is associated with this festival, then the importance of this festival becomes one hundred percent. The question is, how permanent is this happiness, which becomes a passion in the days of Holi? The melodic sound of dhapli (drums) and the Dandiya Raas chimes limit a festival like Holi to what can only be called instantaneous happiness while expecting this tradition of colours to be long-term. Such a bond of affection and respect, of love, of friendship, and of harmony should be tied in, for which a person can be inspired to do something new. Holi is a celebration of consciousness. The more one feels joyful, the more the colours are filled with colours in his life.

In a festival like Holi, all kinds of distractions are erased, and it should be felt that in the fire of Holi, all our sufferings, sorrows, worries, animosities, etc., should be ignited, and the colours of happiness, cheerfulness, and joy in life should be scattered. We should make some resolutions that we ourselves live a peaceful life and wish for a peaceful life for all. Such a resolution and such a life can really make Holi meaningful.