Holi, or Holli (Hindi: होली), is a spring religious festival celebrated by Hindus. It is primarily observed in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, and countries with largeIndic diaspora populations, such as Suriname, Malaysia, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, United Kingdom, United States, Mauritius, and Fiji. In West Bengal and Orissa of India it is known as Dolyatra (Doul Jatra) or Basanta-Utsav ("spring festival"). The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. These places have become tourist destinations during the festive season of Holi, which lasts here to up to sixteen days..
The main day, Holi, also known as Dhuli Vandana in
Sanskrit, also Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi,
is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each
other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little
Holi). The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika,
sister of Hiranyakashipu,
carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of
god Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his
unshakable devotion. Holika Dahan is referred to as Kama Dahanam in South India.
.
Importance
of Holi
In Vaishnava Theology, Hiranyakashipu is
the great king of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma, which made it almost impossible for him
to be killed. The boon was due to his long penance, after which he had demanded
that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside,
not on earth or in the sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra
nor by shastra". Consequently, he grew arrogant
and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop
worshipping gods and start praying to him.....
Despite this, Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada,
was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In spite of several threats from
Hiranyakashipu, Prahlada continued offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. He was
poisoned but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be
trampled by elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry,
poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son
failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on a pyre on
the lap of his demoness sister, Holika,
who could not die because she also had a boon which would prevent fire from
burning her. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to
Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement
as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed, the burning of
Holika is celebrated as Holi 2011.
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