The festival of Holi is celebrated in the country for centuries. Different histories and literature have been told about this festival. Every year Holi is celebrated on the full moon day of Falgun month, Holika Dahan and Chaitra Krishna Pratipada. It is also called Vasantotsav. On this day, the country is drenched in abir-gulal and colors. Everyone showers the color of love on each other.
Different colors are associated with our different emotions and feelings. Anger is associated with red color, jealousy with green, happiness and joy with yellow, love with pink, vastness with blue, peace with white, sacrifice with saffron and knowledge with purple color. Every person is a fountain of colors which keep changing its color, its hue. If your life is also like Holi, in which every color is clearly visible, then it will fill your life with attraction. Harmony in diversity, it makes life lively, joyful and more colorful.
Story of Bhakt Prahlad
Bhakt Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu Narayan. According to Vishnu Purana, Bhakt Prahlad's father was a demon named Hiranyakashyap, who forbade his son from worshipping Lord Vishnu. When his son refused, he ordered his servants to kill him. The servants attacked Prahlad with weapons, arrows, spears, crushed him with elephants, attacked him with lions, poison and weapons, but nothing happened to Prahlad because he had the boon of Lord Vishnu. Demon Hiranyakashyap's sister Holika had got the boon of not burning in fire. On the orders of her demon brother, Holika sat down with Prahlad to burn him in the fire. Even this boon of Holika could not stay with Prahlad. Prahlad came out playing with the same fire and Holika was destroyed. Since then, people have been celebrating the festival of Holika Dahan a day before Holi. People believe that the festival of victory of good over evil and victory of devotion over power is celebrated as Holi. Story related to Radha-Krishna
According to mythological stories, Lord Krishna was dark in complexion and Radha Rani was fair. Regarding this, Kanhaiya complains to his mother Yashoda that why is Radha fair and I am dark. Then mother Yashoda told Lord Krishna to apply the same colour to Radha as yours, then both of you will become of the same colour and this complaint will also end. Then what happened, naughty Nand Yashoda along with his gang reached to colour Radha and applied colour to Radha along with other friends. People believe that from then the festival of Holi with colours started. After this, even today the festival of Holi is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in Mathura-Vrindavan, the birthplace of Krishna.
Importance
This festival is also celebrated in the joy of the arrival of spring season and new crop. Farmers celebrate the prosperity of food production at this time.
On the day of Holi, traditional folk songs, dances and the tune of drums fill the entire atmosphere with joy.
Holi Pujan and Dahan Muhurta
On 13.03.2025, Phalguna Shukla Chaturdashi is till 10.02 in the day, after which Purnima is going to start. Bhadra is starting from then. Which will last till 10.37 in the night. Holika Dahan will happen only after 10.37 in the night. Dhundha Rakshasi is worshipped before Holika Dahan. In Holika Puja, dry wood, cow dung, coconut etc. are worshipped. Holika Dahan is considered a symbol of destruction of evil. Holi is celebrated as Rangotsav on Uday Vyapini Chaitra Krishna Pratipada, Vasantotsav and Ratikam Mahotsav. This year Holi will be celebrated on Saturday, 15.03.2025. Holi is not just a festival, but a celebration of social harmony, spiritual purification and joy. It teaches us that we should forget our mutual hatred and differences and embrace love and brotherhood.