The Holi Festival - March 13, 2017

Holi is one of the most colorful and celebrated festivals observed across all regions of India. The festival gets a lot of coverage in the international media and is very popular due to the widespread use of colors during the festivities. The image of Indians of all ages, genders and social status celebrating this holiday by spraying each other with a wide spectrum of colors is one of the most popular images of India. There is, however, much more to the Holi festival and its many observances, prayers and festivities than just the playful frolicking of colors. The Holi festival is celebrated for a variety of reasons including celebrating the arrival of spring, and giving thanks for a bountiful harvest.

For devout Hindus, Holi commemorates the triumph of good over evil. In an ancient Hindu legend, a demon king named Hiranyakashipu flew into a fit of rage after discovering his son worshiping the Hindu deity Vishnu. The king ordered prince Pralahda to be burned alive, but rather than plead for his life the young prince extoled the virtues of the deity Vishnu before being thrown on the fire. The boy’s piety moved Vishnu, and the deity intervened by focusing the heat of the flames on the King’s sister, Holka, incinerating her, and leaving the pious prince ringed by fire but unscathed. Hindus mark the occurrence as signifying the victory of faith and righteousness over ego and strength.


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