Holi - The Festival

Holi - The Festival

Holi is a Hindu festival, originating from the Indian subcontinent, celebrated all over in India, but it has also spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the world through the diasporra from the Indian subcontinent, also known as the "festival of colours" or "the festival of love"

The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring & end of winter and a festive day to meet others, forget and forgive ,Play and laugh, and repair broken relationships.It is also celebrated as a thanks giving for a good harvest.

Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals infront of the bonfire, & pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakaship,was killed in the fire.The next morning is celebrated as Rangwli Holi–a free-for-all festival of colours,where people smear each other with colours and drench each others.Water filled ballonsand water guns are also used to play and colour each other. Anyone and everyone is fair game,rich or poor, friend or stranger,man or woman, children and elders. The fight frolic with colours occurs in the open streets, open parks, outside temples and buildings. Group carry drums and other musical instruments, go from place to place, sing and dance and etc does. People visit family, friends and foes to throw coloured powders on each other, laugh and gossip, then share Holi delicacies, food and drinks.Some customary drinks include bhang, which is intoxicating. In the evening,people dress up and visit friends and family.

Holika Dahan

On the eve of Holi,typically after or at sunset, the pyre is lit,siignifying Holikaa Dahan.The ritual symbolises victory of good over evil. People gather around the fire to dance and sing.

Holi In Odisha State

The people of Odisha celebrate"Dola"on the day of Holi where the icons of Jagannath replace the icons of Krishna and Radha. Dola Melana, processions of the deities are celebrated in villages and bhoga is offered to the deities."Dola yatra" was prevalent even before 1560 much before Holi was started where the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra used to be taken to the "Dola mandapa".People used to offer natural colours known as"abira" to the deities and apply on each other's feats.