Nivedita Mishra



If you are on a relaxed vacation in Delhi any time in the month of March, just reschedule your itinerary. For March-April or Phalgun by the Indian lunar calendar is the month of Holi! If you happen to be romantically inclined, wanting to spend a day in unmitigated revelry, try Braj Ki Holi!

On the full moon day of the month of Phalgun (phalgun poornima) whole of India bursts into a riot of colours. The day celebrates the coming of spring, the harbinger of hope and fruition of all things creative. It is a festival celebrating love -- passionate, boisterous, embedded with latent energy. Having its origins in the ancient spring festivals called Vasantotsana and borrowing liberally from the customs and traditions of adivasis, legends and myths have been woven into it to give it a context. But in essence Holi, in its present form, remains the celebration of desire, the sensual love.

It is the only one of its kind in India in more ways than one. For once, Indians put auspicious religious fervour on the backburner and celebrate life and loving in its full-throated glory. On Holi, fun, mirth, merry-making and a healthy dose of flirting is the order of the day, much as Lord Krishna did with his gopikas. It is indeed, a season of love and festival of mirth. A day when pent up desires are given a lease of life. Acrimonies and old animosity is put on hold. Holi is a day for women to exhibit feisty feminism as they beat up their men folk.

Holi is celebrated across two days called Holi and Dhuleti or simply chhoti holi and badi holi. On this day, after the customary puja and smearing color on the idols of Lord Krishna and Radha, people smear each other with colored powder or 'gulal' and 'abeer'. People spray coloured water with pichkaris targeting each other with gubbare, balloons filled with gulal water. The celebration begins on the eve of the actual day. Dry leaves and twigs are gathered around the house and a bonfire is lit. In rural India, the Rabi crop is harvested just prior to Holi. The mood is one of contentment. Various produce such as rice, ghee, til, sesame, neem leaves, etc. is thrown into the bonfire. There is a customary puja where the eldest member of the family smears color on all the members. The next being the big day! In Vedic times, the bonfire was set alight in a simple ceremony with the chanting of Raksoghna mantra from the Rigveda (4.4.1- 15; 10.87.1.25, etc.). Gujjia tops the Holi desserts and intoxicant bhang is the order of the day.

Myths and legends

Nowhere else is Holi as beautiful as in Braj, the land eponymous with Lord Krishna. The places associated with the Krishna folklore are Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon and Barsana. The festivities of Nandgaon-Barsana draw tourists by hoards. The festival is at its festive best in Northern India, though it is celebrated in almost all parts of India. Modern day India has embraced the Krishna-Radha episodes and the festive, gay mood of North Indian Holi has taken roots in all of urban and semi urban India.

Legends associated are many. The most prevalent is that of the demon Holika and her nephew Prahlad. The boy, an ardent worshipper of Lord Vishnu was at loggerheads with his father, Hiranyakashyapu. The king wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him instead of Lord Vishnu. But Prahlad, his own born, refused to budge an inch. To punish him for his impudence, the king asked his demon sister Holika to walk through fire with Prahlad in tow. Now Holika had a boon which immuned her to death by fire. On the day of judgement however, it was she who was burned to death. Thus Holi, which derives its name from the demoness, is celebrated as the victory of good over evil. On the eve of Holi, people make bonfires, which symbolize this spirit.

Other legends associated with it are those of witch Putana's attempts at suckling Lord Krishna to death and her eventual death. It also associates itself with the ogress, Dhundhi, who had been troubling the children of the kingdom of Prthu (or Raghu) and how she was made to run away from life by the shouts and pranks of boys. Though blessed with several boons, noise and shouts were the chinks in her armour due to a curse of Lord Shiva. The last myth is that concerning Lord Shiva and Kama Deva, god of love in the Hindu pantheon. Parvati had been trying in vain to draw the attention of Lord Shiva, then in deep meditation. Kama, in his vain pride, directed his bow of sugarcane with a string of humming bees and his arrow-shafts topped with passion at Lord Shiva. In ire, the Mahayogi opened his third eye and Kama was reduced to heap of ashes. Grief-stricken Rati, Kamdev's wife beseeched Lord Shiva to have pity on her and restore her husband to life. Shiva relented and granted her the boon that she could see her husband but he would remain anang that meant without the physical human form.

Needless to say, the Radha-Krishna raas tops them all in public acceptance.

Holi across the country

Each part of India picks on some legend as an occasion to celebrate the coming of spring. By popular mandate the Prahlad-Holika episode and Radha-Krishna raas win.

Braj Ki Holi

Festivities begin a week before Holi. Men from Nandgaon raid Barsana with hopes of raising their flag over Shri Radhikaji's temple. They are received with a thunderous welcome as the women of Barsana greet them with long wooden sticks. Their Holi is often called Laatmaar Holi. The men are soundly beaten as they attempt to rush through town to reach the relative safety of Shri Radhikaji's temple. Men are well-padded as they are not allowed to retaliate. In this mock battle the men try their best not to be captured. Unlucky captives can be forcefully lead away, thrashed and dressed in female attire before being made to dance!

The next day, the men of Barsana reciprocate by invading Nandgaon. Colours of kesudo and palaash, are used to drench the participants. The temples in Vrindavan celebrate the festival with great gusto. The renowned temple of Bakai-Bihari is at the centre of the festivities. Clouds of pink and white descend upon the pilgrims, as the Lord of Vrindavan plays Holi with all his beloved visitors.

Gulal-Kund in Braj is a beautiful little lake near the mountain Govardhan, in the Mathura district. Here the festival is commemorated on a more regular basis. Pilgrims can see the re-enactments of Holi throughout the year at this lake. Local boys, acting in the Krishna-Lila drama troupes re-enact the scenes of Holi for the pilgrims.

Haryana

In Haryana often the 'matki' full of butter is put up high on the streets where able bodied men form a human pyramid to get to the catch, much like Lord Krishna did as a child. An important variant is that the brother's wife beats her brother-in-law with sari tied with a rope in mock rage. All this is done in good humor and in the evening the brother-in-law brings goodies for her.

Bhil tribesmen of North West India

The Bhils in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have retailed many of their pre-Hindu customs. They light a bonfire on the eve and worship the goddess. Villagers bring kesudo and mango spring flowers and grains signifying new life. The young form liaisons leading into marriages. When the fire is lit, loud cries of Holimata rend the air.

Madhya Pradesh

This state celebrates Holi like the rest of North. However, in Indore, Holi is celebrated five days later called the Pancham Holi. Probably, after the Maratha Holkars came conquering and brought with them Marathi tradition.

Bihar

On the eve of Phalgun poornima, Biharis pick on the legend of Prahlad and Holika. Bonfires are lit. Dung cakes, wood of Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest, unwanted wood leaves are burnt. The entire house is cleaned for the purpose. At the time of Holika people assemble near the fire. The eldest member or a purohit initiates the lighting the fire and smears members with colour. Next day is Holi.

Gujarat

On the eve, a pile of wood is made for the bonfire decorated with flowers and fruits. The fire to light the bonfire or Holi is brought from the temple of Mata. The sacred offerings include raw mango, coconut, corn, toys made of sugar, khoi, etc. After the Holi is lit, people apply tilak to each other. Dhuleti is celebrated the following day by playing together with colour.

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