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Holi
The Festival of Colors
A Very Popular Hindu Spring Festival
Celebrated in many countries.
Celebrated all over India
Many Flavors.
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When is it Celebrated ?
Celebrated on the Purnima of Hindu Lunar
Calendar Month of Phalgun
Purnmashi = Purnima = Punam = Full Moon Day
Later part of February or early March
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When did it Start ?
Very ancient tradition.
Mentioned in very early religious works such
as Jaimini's Purvamimamsa-sutras,
Kathaka-grhya-sutras.
Existed several centuries BCE.
Vishnu Purana
Bhagvatam
Other Historical Scriptures
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Many Names of Holi
Vasanta Mahotsava The Great Festival of Vasanta (Spring)
- Most of the places
Kamotsva Associated with story of Kama (The God of love)Dolyatra Festival of Swings
- Eastern regions of India
Phagwah - A festival of Phagun (Last month of Hindu calendar)
- Many Countries and Northern regions IndiaRangapanchami The colourful fifth day of Chaitra (First
month of Hindu Lunar Calendar)
- Many regions of India
Holi Most common name
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Celebration over Several Days
Some Regions Over 2 days
Some Regions Over 5 days
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Story of Holika
Hiranyakashipu - A tyrant the demon king
Penance - Hiranyakashipu had a very long and severe penance
Boon by Brahma - Made him almost impossible to be killed. He was not be killed
During day time or night
Inside a house or outside a house
Not on earth or in sky
Neither by a man nor by an animal
Neither with an astra(long range weapons) nor with ashastra(short
range weapons)
Prahalad - Hiranyakashipu's son was a great devotee ofLord Vishnu.Holika A wicked sister of Hiranyakashipu had boon not to be burnt in fire.
Holika sat with Prahalad in fire. Prahalad came out unhurt and Holika tuned
into ashes.
Bonfire - Is lit at night to signify burning of Holika, a symbol of evil.
Celebration of victory of good over evil.
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Significance of Holika
Holika - A symbol of evil.
Collection of trash from houses collected during fall season
of for several days till Purnima.
Going round (pradakshina) the pire of woods/trash with
water to contain evil qualities within limits.
Burning the Neem leaves Burning the bitterness of life and
taking up the sweatened medicinal value of Neem.
Welcoming the Spring season with the bonfire.
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Holika Dahan - Bonfire
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Kama Mahotsava
Kama Dev - The god of love.Arrow of Kama Kama fired his arrow of love at
Lord Shiva to break his penance and help
Parvati marry him.
Kama's body - Burnt to ashes by the gaze ofShiva
Rati Wife of Kama
For the sake of Rati (passion), Shiva resurrected
Kama, but only as a astral form, representingthe true emotional state of love rather than
physical lust.
Holi - Celebrated in commemoration of the
resurrection Kama Dev as the festival of colors.
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Dhulandi
Second day is celebrated in most part of India. People go around until afternoon sprinkling Gulal
(colored powder) and water at each other.
A special drink is prepared called thandai whichcan be laced with bhang (mild intoxicant)
At noon, the craziness comes to an end and
everyone heads to either the river, the bathtub or
swimming pool.
People invite each other to their houses forfeasts
and celebrations later in the evening
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Children Celebrating Holi in USA
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Dhulandi
Called Dhuleti in central India
Called Dhulavad in Maharashtra (western India)
Called Dhul-mati in northern region of India.
Ash from the previous night Holika is smeared onthe body, and ritual bath is taken in the later
part of the day in some regions.
In some regions Dhulandi is played in first half ofthe day, second half color powered and
colored water are sprinkled on each other and
evening Abir is smeared on the forehead.
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Rangapanchami
Rangapanchami occurs
five days later onPanchami (fifth day after
the Poornamashi/full
moon), marking the endof festivities of colors.
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Gulal and Colored Powders
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Medical Significance
The festival occurs at the onset ofSpring.
Weather change,
Prone to cause viral fever and cold.
Gulal (Colored Powder) - Made ofmedicinal
plants like
Neem Azidaricta Indica
Kumkum Colored TurmericHaldi - Turmeric
Bilva Fruit bearing medicinal tree
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Celebration in Vrindavan
Vrindavan A city in India where Lord Krishna grew up
The Festival - Celebrated for 16 days until Rangpanchmi in
Holy memory of the divine love ofRadha-Krishna.
Popularity - Lord Krishna is believed to have popularized thefestival by playing pranks on the Gopis.
Dark Complexion of Krishna - Krishna used to be complain
to his mother about the contrast between his dark
color and his consort Radha's fair color.
Color on Radhas Face - Krishna's mother decided to apply
colour to Radha's face. The celebrations officially
usher in spring, the season of love.
Since ages Holi is the most popular festival of Vrindavan.
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Krishna Celebrating HoliA painting of Rajsthani style at the Smithsonian Institute, USA
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Holi in Mathura
Holi was also the name of a female demon
Putana who tried to Krishna, by feeding him
poisoned nipples to suckle. The miracle babyKrishna sucked so intensely that he drained the
she demon of her life. She was burnt on the
pyre next day.
It is one of the major celebrations in Mathura.
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Economic Significance
A Festival to Celebrate Good Harvest
and Fertility of Land
New Seasonal Crop comes home during
spring.
A Festival of Farmers
India was a land of farmers/villagers
Importance for business community as new
purchases are made on this occasion.
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Social Significance
Gathering of people from different sections of society
irrespective of their social and economic status
Coming together of males and females to sprinkle
colors on each other Enacting divine love of Radha-Krishna
Forgiving enmities and shed differences
Teenagers spend the day celebrating in the streets
Adults extend the hand of peace and friendship People enjoy sprinkling abir, gulal and colored
water on each other
Distribution of sweets and having feast together.
Family Get-Together
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Invincible Dhundhi
In the ancient time, during the reign of very first king, Prithu,
there was a terrible ogress called Dhundhi. She had
performed severe penances and had won several boons
from the deities that made her almost invincible. She loved
to devour children. However, due to a curse of Lord Shiva,she was not so immune to the pranks and abuses of young
boys. One day, the courageous boys of the village decided
to get rid of her forever. They got intoxicated on bhaang and
drunk and then followed Dhundhi beyond the boundary ofthe village, beating drums, making loud noise, shouting
obscenities and hurling insults at her and continued doing
this until she left the village for good. This is the reason that
even today young boys are allowed to indulge themselves
in rowdiness, using rude words and intoxication on Holi.
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Dolapurnima or Dolayatra
Instead of the exuberant and joyous celebrations that are witnessed
elsewhere, Bengal observes this festival in a quiet and dignified
manner as Dolapurnima or Dolayatra (the festival of the swing). The
festival, said to have been initiated by the king Indradyumn inVrindavan. It is spread over 3 or 5 days, starting from the sukla
Chaturdasi(14th) of Phalguna month. A celebration in honor of Agni
(The Fire God) and worship of Govinda (Krishna) in image on a swing
are the important features. The fire kindled on the first day is to be
preserved till the last day. The swing is to be rocked 21 times at theend of the festival.
The day is also celebrated as the birthday of the great poet saint, Sri
Krishna Chaitanya (A.D. 1486-1533), in Bengal, Orissa, Mathura and
Vrindavan.
the festival of the swing
The Festival of Swings
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Celebration in Pusti-Marga Temples
Pushti-Marga temples, spread throughout North and
Western States of India, celebrate the festival in a way
reminiscent of rajput courts. The Deity are liberally
sprinkled with perfumes, saffron water, kesudo, and
covered in sandalwood as well as the white and pink
powder, abir and gulal. Joyous celebration isaccompanied by classical music, poetry and folk songs
appropriate for the occasion. Deity's white clothes' are
soon transformed into a mass of color as gold and silver
syringes spray colorful water on all participants. Thecelebrations officially usher in the pleasant season of
love, spring. In the Pushti-Marga temples, the festivities
last for almost a month. Beginning on the day of Vasant-
Panchami, the festivals last till the day after Holi. This
helps to prolong the season of divine love and joy.
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Other Regional Celebrations
Tribesmen in central India celebrate in
old traditional ways.
In the towns of Rajasthan - EspeciallyJaisalmer - the music's great, and
clouds of pink, green, and turquoise
powder fill the air.