Holi beyond colours

Holi is a classical example or a custom to create ?social healthiness? in the society.

Holi, a popular festival in India heralds the arrival of spring and, in keeping with the spirit of the season, it is celebrated with colours. However, in the exuberance of this joyous festival one often forgets the legend and essence of the festival.

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The festival actually signifies the victory of good over evil, of devotion surpassing ambition. The legend of King Hiranyakashyap is associated with the festival of Holi. Hiranyakashyap had declared himself as God and wanted his son Prahlad to worship him and not “Vishnu”. When Prahlad refused to comply, he was made to sit with Holika, sister of Hiranyakashyap, on an open fire. Holika had a boon that she would not burn even if she sat on a live fire. However, when she sat with Prahlad on the live fire, the reverse happened. She got burned and lost her life, while Prahlad came out alive.

The story has a deep spiritual meaning. Hiranyakashyap represents the "Ego” which when takes control of a person, one forgets about his own consciousness and thinks that he is the supreme power. The same symbolic representation may be found in Ravana in Ramayana and Kansa in Mahabharata.

Prahlad represents a person with self-realisation or the one in touch with consciousness. Consciousness cannot be burnt, cut, dried or wet by anything. It is imperishable and everlasting. All those who have acquired self-realisation, utilising any of the pathway (Bhakti, Karma and Gyan) are in a state of acquaintance with God and nothing can destroy them.

The obstacles to the pathway of self-realisation are “attachment, anger, desire, greed and ego.” Holika represents the sum total of the negative forces in the body, which can kill anyone if not controlled in time. Getting attached to any of the five senses can lead to a vicious cycle and one can enter the chakraview of attachments. If one is truthful and attains one point contemplation on a known truth, all the negative forces will stay away. However, negative forces should never be suppressed or repressed. Instead, one should try to reach a stage where one does not have negative emotions and in the event of situations which generate these feelings one must neither react nor suppress the negative emotions. Instead one must learn to act in a positive manner.

The practice of burning Holi a day before the festival symbolises the burning of all our negative thoughts or emotions embedded in the mind and neutralising all the negative feelings. By burning our ego and other negative qualities, one also burns the ill feelings within, and makes the world a better place to live in. As soon as the negativity is removed from the mind, there is opening of the spiritual vision or the knowledge of the consciousness. Once this is done, the only thing left is the positive thought, which is celebrated with much laughter and cheer amidst bright colours, with friends and enemies alike.

The habit of throwing water on each other also has a deep spiritual meaning and symbolises the act of cleansing oneself. Cleansing does not mean bodily dirt, but that of the mind, which once cleansed allows and enables spirituality.

The essence of Holi, therefore, is not only to greet and wish your friends but also those to whom you are not so kindly disposed. The festival, therefore, is an opportunity to spread brotherhood and happiness in the society. The WHO defines health as not mere absence of disease but a state of physical, mental, spiritual, social and environmental well being. Holi, therefore, is a classical example or a custom to create “social healthiness” in the society.

(Dr. Aggarwal is Sr. Consultant in Mool Chand Hospital, Executive Vice Chairman, Heart Care Foundation of India and President, IMA New Delhi Branch.)