Holi is one of the important festivals of the Hindus. It is a colorful festival of great joy and enthusiasm. This festival is celebrated all over the country as a day filled with complete mischief, fun and enjoyment.
Holi indicates the end of the winters and the beginning of the spring season. According to the Hindu calendar it is celebrated on the full-moon night of the month of Phalgun. Holi is celebrated to mark the victory of truth over evil, the victory of Prahlad over King Hiranyakashyap. Prahlad was a devotee of God. His father, King Hiranyakashyap did not believe in God but-believed in his own powers. He failed to deviate his son’s devotion to God and decided to kill him by burning him alive.
Prahlad’s sister, Holika, had a God-gifted boon that she would not be burnt in the fire. She sat with her nephew in the blazing fire. Holika let herself be burnt and Prahlad was saved. The truth, the powers of the Supreme God, defeated the false evil.
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During the day women folk worship a stack of wooden logs called Holi. At the end of the day in the full-moon night Holi is burnt in a holy way. The green ears of barley and gram are heated up in the fire and distributed among friends and relatives new. Friendships are made and old enmities are forgotten.
Next day is the festive day of Holi. All hearts are filled with joy. Children throw colored water on each other while the elder people apply ‘gulal’ or ‘abir’, There are noisy scenes as little groups of children move from one locality to another exchanging holi greetings, singing songs and laughing at their own jokes. It is almost mid-day when people move indoors to freshen themselves.
Though this is a festival of brotherhood and unity, it has some disadvantages too. Some ill-minded people-take this day as a chance to take revenge. They use dirty mud water. Use of strong colors harmful to the skin, charcoal and grease often create a serious quarrel. This leads to unnecessary enmity and spoils the charm of the festival.
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People must understand that this festival is celebrated to bring people together to be happy. They must take care not to indulge in bad practices and make it one of the best festivals. Then they can enjoy to their maximum amidst the beautiful colors.