Known as the festival of colors, Holi is the most famous Hindu festival of North-India other than Diwali and Dusshera. According to the Hindu calendar, the festival of Holi falls on the Purnima of Phalguna month and the celebration continues for two consecutive days. The first day is known as Choti Holi in which Holika Dahan is observed while the second day is honored as dulhandi, or rang panchmi where people play with colors and water, eat lots of gunjiyas and sweets and squirt water-filled balloons on each other.
The joyous festival of Holi signifies the celebration of goodness over evil and marks the onset of the spring season as well. Unlike other festivals, there is a spiritual significance associated with Holi festival too. Read the article to know the significance of Holi festival and story behind Holika-Dahan.
Mythological legend related with holi festival:
Once there was a demon called Hiranyakashyap who used to hate Lord Vishnu since he had killed his brother. Under the intoxication of his self-pride, he wanted that everyone considers him God. Hiranyakashyap had a son named Prahlad who was a true devotee of Lord Vishnu Which infuriated the demon Hiranyakashyap. He tried every possible way to persuade Prahlad to hate Vishnu but become unsuccessful. He didn’t approve that his son worships Lord Vishnu, before that to his own father and tried to kill him several times but the Lord miraculously saved him every time.
Offended by his son’s disobedience, he seeked help from his sister, Holika who was bestowed with a boon that fire could not burn her to kill Prahlad. He asked Holika to sit down with Prahlad in her lap in burning furnace. With everyone’s surprise, nothing happened to Prahlad as he came out alive with Vishnu’s compassion and holika was burnt to ashes.
This story truly depicts that nothing can happen to a person who has God as his savior. Since then, the ritual of burning woods or Holika Dahan takes place that signifies the victory of goodness over evil. This ritual also states that we should not only burn woods but also our negative traits.
On Holika Dahan or choti holi, people gather together and lit a bonfire. They perform pingpuja, and prayer for the prosperity and long life of dear ones and family members.
Significance behind festival of colour:
One mythological tale depicts that Lord Krishna used to celebrate the festival of Holi with colors along with his Gopis at Gokul and Vrindavan. Since then, next day of Holika-Dahan is celebrated with colors and throwing water balloons at each other.