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Sunrays: Celebrate, Holi Hai!
Enjoy the fun and dance; gorge on the goodies to your heart’s content but do find a moment to pause and ponder upon the real significance of Holi
Holi, the festival falls on March 8 this year. The festival can be as spiritual and sublime or as rowdy and crazy as one wants it to be.
The festival dates back to the time of Radha and Krishna. Radha was fair; Krishna’s mother said she wouldn’t agree to marry Him as He was dark-skinned. But Radha offered colours to Krishna, saying He could colour her in any hue He fancied! The famous bhajan, “Rang de chunariya He Giridhaari… apne hi rang mein, rang de Murari…” resonates the feelings of Radha and many a devout soul. The Holi of Vrindavan, Mathura and Barsaana (the village of Radha) is known world over.
My grandfather, a lawyer from Ferozepur, would always go to Mathura and Vrindavan for Holi. Referred to as ‘Bansuri waale bauji’, he would sit in the temple for days and play the flute for Krishna, during the festivities. He would sing, dance and play Holi with devotees and return, dyed in yellow, green, pink… much to the dismay of my grandmother!
Just as Dussehra, Holi celebrates the victory of good over evil. The demon king Hiranyakashayapu, proclaimed himself to be God and ordered everyone to worship him. Everyone followed suit, except his own son Prahlada, who worshipped Lord Vishnu. This did not go down well with his father.
Legend has it that Holika, Hiranyakashayapu’s sister, had a boon that fire would not harm her. She sat on a pyre holding Prahlada, assuming that Prahlada would burn, while she would remain unharmed. But Holika was burnt to ashes whereas Prahlada was unharmed! Rejoicing over the burning of Holika, people played with her ashes and flung handfuls of it into the air. This too became a part of the tradition of Holi.
Hiranyakashayapu too had a boon from Lord Brahma, that he would not die in the morning or at night, on the earth or in the sky, inside or outside, by astra or shastra, by a human or an animal. One day, Hiranyakashayapu broke a pillar in anger, asking Prahalada if Lord Vishnu was omnipresent, where was He in the pillar? Lord Vishnu incarnated from within the pillar, in the form of Narasimha (half man-half lion) and sat in the doorway (neither inside, nor outside). It was dusk (neither day, nor night). He put Hiranyakashayapu across his thighs (neither on earth, nor in the sky) and tore open his body with his nails/claws (neither astra, nor shastra).
After the horrendous death of the evil Hiranyakashayapu, people across the kingdom danced, sang and distributed sweets to share their joy.
The Indian calendar is punctuated with festivals like Holi, Dusshera, subtle reminders to check the path we are treading and, if required, make amends. Holi also heralds in the spring season and signifies new beginnings and transformations along with prayers for a bountiful harvest.
Let’s pause here to reflect on the power of devotion. It was because of Prahlada’s devotion and love for Lord Vishnu that He assumed the intimidating form of Narasimha and annihilated Hiranyakashayapu.
With every festival, comes its share of sweets and goodies. Holi brings with it ghevar, gujiya, phirni and pakoras. Most people play with colours, dwell on the spiritual aspect, leading to introspection and self-improvement, while others consume all the wrong stuff and go berserk. They create a ruckus and are a public nuisance.
Well! Enjoy the fun and dance; gorge on the goodies to your heart’s content but do find a moment to pause and ponder upon the real significance of Holi.
Weed out your vices and start afresh like the blossoms of the spring season! May your festival be happy and holy!
