Holi celebrations in India and abroad
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Holi Milan
Holi Milan: Celebration Of True Colours
Dadi Ratan Mohini The Times of India Mar 06 2015
The festival of Holi that is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima, the full moon day of the lunar month Phalgun, has three aspects to it. First, people make an effigy of Holika and make a bonfire of it. Next day they colour each other and enjoy Holi Milan in a playful and festive manner. The third and most important aspect is that all the gaiety symbolises letting go of the past forgive and forget.
The story of Holika reminds us of the divine protection of the pious Prahlad who had unflinching faith in God and of the death of his aunt Holika who was hell bent on killing him by misusing Brahma's boon bestowed on her not to be consumed by fire. (She sat with Prahlad on her lap in a raging fire that consumed her but left the child unharmed.) The bonfire signifies destroying one's own weaknesses and faults and purifying one's thoughts, deeds and words. Grains are thrown into the fire. When the grains are roasted, they cannot grow a crop. In a spiritual context, it means that if our actions are burnt in the fire of yoga, they will not give rise to vicious actions and, hence, there will be no crop of sufferings.
Any deed performed in the aware ness of spiritual wisdom cannot become a misdeed.Hence, Holika also symbolises that first we have to burn away our vices and attachment by having a loving and single-minded devotion for the Supreme Soul. God's direction to all humanity is to purify the seed of karma by roasting it in the fire of yoga.We will then become aware of who we really are eternal spiritual beings endowed with divine qualities of peace, love, bliss, joy and power.
The day after the bonfire people celebrate Holi with colours. That is, in order to get coloured by spiritual wisdom, one has to burn away the vices within. It is in the companionship of God that we realise our own true colours, our original divine virtues.
Knowledge also symbolises colour.A spiritually evolved virtuous person colours those who are in his company and inspires them too to connect to God and His goodness. It is only through one's blissful communion with God that we can experi ence divine bliss which is the underlying spirit of Holi celebrations.
The spiritual way of celebrating this colourful festival is first, to let go of the past. To forgive and forget beings and things that create hurt, pain or any kind of suffering is the true way to welcome newness in life.
Secondly, Holi inspires us to be holy because we are the children of God. Lastly , it reminds us about our true eternal belongingness with God; to be His children in the real sense and to reflect the original colours of peace, joy , love and truth which are inherent in every human soul. All true relationships that bring joy and fulfilment come from relating to divinity in the self and in each person. Holi Milan signifies the universal celebration of this spiritual love and brotherhood.
This divine bliss is illustrated in the tales of Krishna playing Holi with gopis. These tales are symbolic of the spiritual intoxication and inner bliss that is experienced by human souls when they get coloured by spiritual knowledge that is imparted by God at the confluence of end of Kaliyuga and beginning of Satyuga also called Sangamyuga. It is an auspicious time to experience divine love and bliss in the company of God.(Dadi Ratan Mohini is Jt. Chief of the Brahma Kumaris, Mt Abu.)
Holi colours
Make your own colours
RED Sun dry rose petals in tissue papers and grind them to make a fine powder.
YELLOW: Boil marigold flowers in water and leave them overnight. Strain and use the colour next morning.
ORANGE: Add turmeric, marigold petals and sandalwood powder in water and bring to a boil. Let it cool before you use this bright yellow colour.
GREEN: Powder sun-dried spinach, coriander and gulmohar leaves to make a fine green mix.
PURPLE: Blend jamun juice with lavender oil and arrowroot for that royal hue.
ROSE COLOUR: This is simple — mix powdered rose petals, some arrowroot and tea rose oil for that rich colour.
HOLI CELEBRATIONS IN INDIA
Regional variations: an overview
March 10, 2022: The Times of India
1. Beautiful places around Delhi to celebrate Holi
If you are a person who likes to travel and witness how Holi is celebrated in India, it’s time to plan your Holi travel itinerary. Different places in India celebrate the festival of colour in their unique way. With the Holi weekend around, it's time to plan a quick trip; here are our favourite picks.
2. Udaipur
To witness Holi celebrations in royal style, you should definitely visit Udaipur. The festival is an imperial affair here and involves participation of the royal family too. The celebrations commence with Holika Dahan, when the local Maharaja in the royal palace’s courtyard, lights the ceremonial bonfire, which is followed by a royal procession from Shambhu Niwas Palace to Manek Chowk royal residence. The celebration concludes with amazing fireworks. If you are visiting this place for the Holi weekend, you can also visit City Palace, Lake Pichola, and Jag Mandir.
3. Agra
Holi festival is celebrated with much zeal and enthusiasm, and brings forth all the colourful opportunities for visitors to indulge in. People gather together to celebrate this occasion, gulp down glasses of bhang, dance, party, savour sweets, and such other fares. When here, you can also witness colourful parades with folk songs highlighting the Holi celebrations in Agra.
If you are in Agra during the Holi weekend, after the celebrations, you can visit Agra Fort, Mehtab Bagh and, of course, Taj Mahal.
4. Jaipur
During Holi, the Pink City of Jaipur transforms into a rainbow, with colours everywhere. The highlights of this occasion are the gala celebrations that take place in the palace, hosted by the royal family. Programs that are hosted here include customary Rajasthani folk music and dance, which is followed with gulal play. Visitors can also visit the Govind Dev ji Temple, and witness the devotional atmosphere, where idols of Radha and Krishna are decorated and offered marigold flowers.
If you are visiting this place during the Holi weekend, after the celebrations, you can visit City Palace, Hawa Mahal, Jal Mahal, and Nahargarh Fort.
5. Vrindavan
Holi celebrations are vital in Mathura and Vrindavan as Lord Krishna grew up and spent most of his early life here. Holi celebration in Vrindavan is an occasion that attracts a huge influx of Vaishnavas. While the Holi celebrations at the renowned Banke-Bihari Temple makes for a spectacular watch, the merriment here continues for a week that starts with Phoolon ki Holi or flower splashes, and concludes with a riot of colours, it’s just a surreal sight to see thousands of people uniting to play with colours on one particular day.
After the celebrations, you can visit Prem Mandir, Kesi Ghat, Nidhivan, and Givid Deo Temple.
6. Mathura
You should definitely be part of Holi celebrations in Mathura for more than one reason. Known for being the birthplace of Lord Krishna, it’s a most sought-after destination, especially during Holi. During this time, temples in Mathura host elaborate events to celebrate the festival, while some are known to be India's most grandest. To be a part of these festivities is a lifetime experience.
If you are visiting this place during the Holi weekend, after the celebrations, you can visit Krishna Janmabhoomi Temple, Shree Dwarkadhish Temple, and the Government Museum.
7. Pushkar
Pushkar celebrates the occasion of Holi with much enthusiasm and vigour. Holi celebrations begin here on the eve of Holi with the traditional Holi bonfire. Visitors can also witness Holika Dahan when here and be a part of it. After the fire extinguishes, people take the embers to their homes. Then after, the ambience of the next morning changes into peppy play of colours, turning the town into a colourful paradise
If you are here for the Holi weekend, you can visit Pushkar Lake, Brahma Temple, and Mahadeva Temple.
8. West Bengal
Home to Nobel Laureate Rabindranath Tagore, West Bengal celebrates this festival in a colourful and unique way. Tagore was the one who first started the celebration of Holi in Shantiniketan as Basanta Utsav (Spring Festival), inspired by spring and the colours of Holi. Over the years, Basanta Utsav has become a cherished part of Bengali history and culture, and lures visitors from far and near.
If you are visiting this place during the Holi weekend, after the celebrations, you can visit Victoria Memorial, Park Street, Sundarbans National Park, Howrah Bridge, and Dakshineswar Temple.
Anandpur Sahib
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Hola Mohalla
In Punjab, Holi is a tribute to the valour of Sikh Guru Gobind Singh. It is celebrated with a display of martial arts, followed by the traditional smearing of coloPhalgun Purniurs in an open ground at Anandpur Sahib. Huge langars are arranged at gurdwaras all day.
Baldeo
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Ladoo Holi in Baldeo
At the birthplace of Krishna’s elder brother Balrama, women greet men from neighbouring Nandgaon, Vrindavan and Mathura with sweets. “These sweets are also thrown at the men amid playful banter,” says Pandey.
BARSANA/NANDGAON
The birthplace of Radha, is the centre of boisterous celebrations during Holi. Located 15 km from Vrindavan, it is here in Barsana that Krishna teased his beloved and her friends. In present-day festivities, young men from Nandgaon, where Krishna spent many days of his youth, come to Barsana to play Holi with the women. Instead of gulal, they greet each other with sticks, hence the name lathmaar Holi.
According to tradition, the men must put a flag atop the local Radha Rani Temple with the women using every trick in the book to stop them. Making the men wear saris or lehengas, beating them up with sticks… everything is fair in this battle of the sexes. In a symbolic revenge on Lord Krishna for playing pranks on the gopis, the women continue undaunted. But there comes a time when they are exhausted. It is then that the men take over. They use buckets of coloured water to drench the women. Now it’s a fair deal!
B
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Barsana’s Lathmar Holi
Barsana in the Braj region of Mathura district is the birthplace of Radha, Krishna’s consort, and famous for its Lathmar Holi, celebrated 4-5 days before the pan-India Holi with sticks, shields and colours. “It is celebrated as friendly banter between a man and his sister-in-law. Radha is the sister-in-law of all of Krishna’s friends from neighbouring Nandgaon, Vrindavan and Mathura. Men from these towns come to Barsana to play Holi with her and her friends. The women playfully hit and chase the men away with sticks (lath) while the men protect themselves with shields,” says Pandey.
Belagavi: Ashwathama is revered
Holi with a difference — when Ashwathama is revered, March 14, 2017: The Hindu
If Holi is not with a difference, then it is not in Belagavi, says every reveller who would not want to miss a chance to go to Pangul Galli off the busy Ganpat Galli in the heart of the city to celebrate the festival of colours. Pangul Galli, a narrow commercial street, is the venue of the special celebration, which is unique to the festivities here. And, what makes the occasion so special for the city is the thrilling blend of religious ritual and Holi revelry.
At the peak of the celebrations starts this unique ritual at Pangul Galli with hundreds of youth lying down on the street and rolling to pay their tributes to Ashwathama, the cursed warrior in the Hindu epic, the Mahabharata. The temple of Ashwathama stands in the midst of the street and he is revered as the presiding deity on the occasion of every Holi in this part of the city. Devotees here say that this is only the second temple built for one of the warriors of the Mahabharata. Devotees pay their respects and tributes to Ashwathama by performing “Lotangan” (Urulu Seve). Hundreds of youth made a beeline to participate in the “Lotangan”, while other revellers drenched them with coloured-water and splashed gulal on them. The occasion was marked by special puja and distribution of prasada to all by the temple committee members, arranged with contributions from residents and shop-keepers on the street.
The temple of Ashwathama suffers from a social stigma which discourages many from going there. There is hardly anybody who visits this temple on the rest of the days owing to the curse that haunts Ashwathama for taking the side of the Kauravas and killing the sons of the Pandavas. Thus, a belief continues to haunt the community that the sight of the idol of Ashwathama would bring them bad luck.
Bengal
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Basant Utsav
In West Bengal, the day is special because it’s the birth anniversary of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. Unlike north India’s riotous Holi, this is a restrained celebration.
Bihar
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Phalgun Purnima
In Bihar, Holi celebrates a good harvest and fertility of the land, besides Prahlad’s victory over Holika. On Phalgun Purnima eve, bonfi res are lit with cow dung cakes, freshly harvested grains and wood from Holika trees.
Erach
===As in 2024===
March 24, 2024: The Times of India
Nidhi Purohit & Arindham Ghosh, March 24, 2024: The Times of India
As the flames of Holika Dahan illuminate the Sunday night sky, the ancient town of Erach in the heart of UP’s Bundelkhand will glow yet again as the “cradle” of the festival of colours, report Nidhi Purohit & Arindham Ghosh. Erach, 70km from present-day Jhansi, is believed to have been King Hiranyakashipu’s capital where Holika sat in a fire with Prahlad and was reduced to ashes, while Prahlad came out unscathed.
Erach, revered as a Buddhist site, is mentioned in Buddhist scripture Petavatthu as Erikachha or Erakachha and was a prominent city in ‘Dasanna janapada’. Many temples and an excavated Holika idol serve as landmarks. Legend has it Prahlad’s mother Kayadhu used to worship in Shaktipeeth.
Lucknow: As the flames of Holika Dahan illuminate the Sunday night sky, the ancient town of Erach in the heart of Uttar Pradesh’s Bundelkhand will glow yet again as the “cradle” of the festival of colours.
Erach, 70km from present-day Jhansi, is believed to have been King Hiranyakashipu’s capital where Holika sat in a fire with Prahlad and was reduced to ashes, while Prahlad came out unscathed.
Erach, revered as a major Buddhist site, is mentioned in Buddhist scripture Petavatthu as Erikachha or Erakachha and was a prominent city in the “Dasanna janapada”.
“The celebration of Holi in Erach is a spectacle unlike any other. In the weeks leading up to the festival, the town is abuzz with anticipation as locals prepare for the grand event. Streets adorned with colourful banners and decorations, bustling markets offering an array of vibrant powders and sweets, and the air filled with the infectious spirit of camaraderie and joy, Erach transforms into a kaleidoscope of hues and happiness,” says Shri Bhakt Prahlad Kalyan Sansthan chairman Amit Chaurasia.
Aseries of temples, including the Nav Devalay Shaktipeeth and an excavated idol of Holika, serve as landmarks. Legend has it that Prahlad’s mother Kayadhu used to worship in the Shaktipeeth.
“The legend finds mention in a few shlokas of theBhagavad Purana. The official Jhansi Gazetteer, too, refers to this,” said Hargovind Kushwaha, president, International Buddhist Research Institute, Lucknow.
He mentioned a hillock in village Dhikoli from where it is said that Prahlad was thrown deep into River Betwa but he came out unhurt. The Uttar Pradesh govt started a five-day ‘Erach Mahotsav’ in 2019, featuring a plethora of events related to local folk culture. The festival has been drawing people from various places. “For last few years, the Yogi Adityanath govt has been promoting religious tourism and working towards the development of Bundelkhand. The tourism department has been sanctioning funds to the Shri Bhakt Prahlad Kalyan Sansthan, the committee that takes charge of conducting grand Holi festivities in the town. Both officials and locals participate in the weeklong celebrations here,” said BJP MLA from Garautha Jawahar Lal Rajput.
Haryana
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Dhulandi/Duleti
In Haryana, Holi is a mock fi ght between a woman and her husband’s younger brother. It involves women beating men with a sari braided into a rope, besides spraying colour. Men offer sweets in return.
MATHURA
Lord Krishna’s association with Mathura goes back to his birth. He was born in Mathura but brought up in Vrindavan. Legend has it that when he complained to his mother Yashoda about Radha’s fair complexion, she asked him to smear Radha’s face with colour. This marked the beginning of the festivities. Today, the weeklong celebrations are held with great fervour at Gulal Kund near Govardhan hill. Revellers apply gulal on each other and drench themselves in the waters of the lake. Young boys enact the story of Krishna’s childhood.
Maharashtra
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Rangpanchami
In Maharashtra, on the 5th day before Phalgun Purnima, boys enact the stealing of butter by Krishna by forming human pyramids to reach pots of butter, milk or curd hung at a height as women splash colour on them.
Shekhawati, Rajasthan
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Gair Holi
In the Shekhawati region of Rajasthan, Holi is “more like a costume dance where the men gather in the centre of the village to play the duff and dance in circles wearing gair (or the gherawala dress),” says Divya Bhatia, festival director Jodhpur RIFF. Colours, too, form a part of the celebration.
Varanasi
March 18, 2022: The Times of India
Masan Holi in Varanasi
A tribute to Shiva, the resident deity of Kashi. It celebrates death with the hope of attaining ‘moksha’ or salvation. Aghoris at cremation grounds play this holi with ash from pyres. For the others, bhang, thandai and sweets are integral to Kashi Holi. Before playing Holi with ash and gulal, people pray at the temple of Mahashamashan Nath, lord of the cremation ground. The folk song ‘Khele masane mein Holi digamber’ (Lord Shiva is playing Holi in a cremation ground) is linked with the occasion.
VRINDAVAN
Fifteen kilometres from Mathura is Vrindavan, the place that resounds with tales of the Lord’s mysticism and divinity. During Holi, celebrations and divinity coalesce to spread the message of oneness with Krishna and love for our brethren. One of the distinctive features of Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan is that the temples dedicated to Lord Krishna celebrate the festival on different days. The most important celebrations take place at Banke Bihari Temple where the assembled crowds chant the name of the Lord and his consort with passion.
B
Phoolon Ki Holi in Vrindavan
Celebrated on the fi rst day of the Holi week, Phoolon ki Holi (or Holi with fl owers) is unlike the usual Holi that’s played with colours. Instead, fresh fl owers are sprinkled upon devotees at the Banke Bihari temple in Vrindavan as a symbol of connecting with God, who is showered with love and fl owers.
HOLI-INSPIRED FESTIVALS IN NON-HINDU COMMUNITIES
Germany
The Holi Festival in Germany: the brightest multi-coloured party in the world
Holi Festivals are currently taking Germany by storm. At a given point in a Holi Festival, several thousand young people throw brightly coloured powder at each other. This fun event has its origins in an Indian religious celebration held each spring. But what do Germany-Alumni from India make of this commercial take on their traditional festival?
In 2012, Jasper Hellmann, an events manager from Berlin, was in Delhi during the Indian month of Phalguna (February/March). Suddenly, he found himself surrounded by Indians dancing and enthusiastically throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other. What Hellmann was caught up in was the Hindu festival of Holi, an annual celebration of spring, which sees people of all ages, genders and castes coating each other in coloured powder, or ‘gulal’. He recalls, ‘For a few days, everyone looks the same – and everyone is multi-coloured. I thought it was a wonderful idea.’
Back in Germany, Hellmann set up a company – Holi Concept GmbH – and laid the foundations for what has turned into Germany’s largest fun event. The ‘Holi Festival of Colours’ now attracts tens of thousands of young people every year. Detached from its religious roots, Germany’s version of Holi takes place in fenced-off areas between mid-May and late August, when the weather is good, rather than on the streets during spring, as the Indian festival does. Another difference is that the throwing of the coloured powder takes place on the hour, after a mass countdown, rather than at random times. And there’s other evidence of the German influence, too: Holi participants in Germany are not allowed to use Indian ‘gulal’ and have to buy special locally produced powder that meets stringent health and safety criteria.
Hungary
Ukraine
Holi Colors Festival
In 2013 celebrated in the Druzhby Narodov Park
Visit To Ukraine, the authoritative Ukrainian tourism website, wrote in 2013
The most colorful event, which is eagerly expected by a lot of Kiev residents and tourists - Holi colors festival. Yes, the main feature of the festival will be paint. All the participants will be able to shower each other with bright colors, thus giving a smile, a laugh and a loud outburst of emotion around and the feeling that there is no monotony of everyday life and everything is bright and wonderful. For the first time this festival was held in India.
The festival program also includes competitions in wakeboarding, water battles and flash mob throwing paint, a master class in dance for children and art education, accompanied by animators and choreographers, show representatives of contemporary art and culture of different artists. The colorful festival of colors Holi will be completed with rock concert and an evening show.
Europe, Africa, South America and Australia
Holi Festival: community fun with a touch of exoticism
The Holi Festival trend has spread from Germany to cities such as London, Barcelona and Amsterdam, which all now hold their own festivals. Most of those throwing the yellow, blue, green and pink powder at each other are young women. The craze has even reached Africa, South America and Australia. In Germany alone, Holi Concept GmbH expects around 150,000 participants at events across 14 towns and cities in 2015. And that means good business, with tickets costing around 20 Euros and those essential bags of powder around 2 Euros each.
The Holi Festival clearly ticks a number of boxes in terms of what young people now want from a fun event. It creates an atmosphere of freedom and community. It combines the familiar tones of techno music on a show stage with a touch of exoticism. And it’s the perfect opportunity for taking the most amazing selfies and posting them on social media. In fact, the selfie trend is why Holi Festivals start in the early afternoon: that’s when the light is best.
See also
Holi: the significance of the festival
Holi celebrations in India and abroad
