The coming of Spring is celebrated in the Hindu religion over
several days during the Festival of Colours – called Holi. Holi is a time for fun rather than religious observance. It is the most vibrant Indian festival, when distinctions of caste, class, age or gender are set to one side. The practical jokes and games that surround Holi are thought to arise from the belief that the origin of the festival lies with Krishna who was very mischievous as a young boy and threw coloured water over the gopis (milkmaids) with whom he is believed to have grown up.

People have fun by smearing each other with paint and throwing coloured water at each other, all done in a spirit of celebration. White clothes are worn, which makes the paint show up more. Bonfires are lit and parents make sure they carry their babies to protect them from any demons.

The Legend of Prahalad and Holika is the main Holi story concerning the female demon Holika (the King’s sister) and Prahalad (the King’s son). The king wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him. However his son, Prahlad refused to and worshipped Lord Vishnu instead…

Tags: Hinduism, Holi

This entry was posted on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 2:03 pm and is filed under days of significance, General, social practices, South Asia . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.