Holi is one of the most important festivals in India that has been celebrated since ancient times. It is a Hindu festival and it also signs the arrival of spring after winters.
This festival is also a celebration of thanksgiving for a good harvest. It also symbolizes the conquering of good over evil and becomes a day of spreading love and happiness.
It is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Fargoon in March. While India celebrates Holi with different names and traditions to other states.
But what makes Holi so different and special and also the prime attraction of festivals of India?
So let’s start with the story of Holi and how its name derived as Holi?
Why Holi is celebrated?
According to Bhagavata Purana Once a demon king Hiranye Kashyup prayed to Lord Bharama (creator of the universe) to make him immortal.
Lord Bharama got happy with his prayers and gave him the blessing that he could not be killed by any person, or animal, neither indoors nor outdoors or above the grounds or on it, not in dark or in the light.
After this blessing, he started to think he is the most powerful king in the world. He called himself God and forced people to worship him and had an ulterior motive of ruling heaven, the earth, and the underworld by defeating Lord Vishnu.
Also, he forced everyone in his kingdom to worship and no one else. Out of fear everyone started to dear him and start worshiping him. The king had a sister named Holika and a son name, Prahalad.
Holika was king evil and cruel and Prahalad was a brave boy who didn’t fear his father and he only worships Lord Vishu.
He was an adherent of Lord Vishu because when he was in the womb of his mother, his mother used to hear Katha of Lord Vishu, idolize him and she was a true believer of Lord Vishu.
The King tried to persuade his son to stop revering Lord Vishnu but Prahald didn’t even listen. Imagine king Hiranye Kashyap’s anger when his son Prahalad was not worshiping him and is the devotee of Lord Vishnu.
What Did King Hiranye Kashyup Did To His Son?
The king wants his son dead. The king was sentencing his son to death. King Hiranye Kashyap tried to kill Prahalad many times but he always failed.
The king ordered his soldiers to push Prahald from the cliff but Lord Vishnu saved Prahalad by making him land on the stack of hay.
He also ordered his soldiers to make his son trampled by elephants, he tried to push him into the wells, and he also threw his son into the pit of the poisonous snake but Lord Vishnu always saved him.
King was tired of trying to kill him but nothing worked. Then he remembered that his evil sister has the blessing of Lord Bharama and that she has a boon that allows her to enter the fire and come out unharmed.
She has a cloak that protects her from fire. So the King and his sister Holika made a plan to kill Prahalad. Holika tricked Prahalad to sit with him on the pyre with her.
Holika clad herself with the cloak while Prahald had no idea and he was sitting without any protection. He was going to burn to death.
King Hiranye Kashyup set alight the wooden pyre the flame rushed up and starts burning. As the flame blazed up the cloak flew from Holika’s body and encased Prahalad.
Holika was burned to ashes while Prahalad who has been chanting Lord Vishnu’s name came became without any harm.
What Happened To King Hiranye Kashyap?
Lord Vishnu became furious with king Hiranye Kashyap for trying to kill his devotee, Prahalad.
So he appeared in the avatar of “Narishma” half man and half lion, and he fulfilled all the requirements of endorsement, and king Hiranye Kashyap had to die.
The people of the Kingdom rejoiced from the death of king Hiranye Kashyap and relieved a sign of freedom from the fear of king Hiranye Kashyap.
Ever since, that time to mark good over evil, truth over lies, and joy over sadness people celebrated Holi.
This is why the Holi celebration starts with “Holika Dahan” where people perform rituals of a bonfire, praying for their inner evil to end just like Holika.
Holika Dahan is also famous as Choti Holi. People collect burned wood or ashes from the Holika Dahan and apply them to their foreheads. But as time passed prole started using color powder instead of ash to make it more fun.
How Ewen Realtors are celebrating Holi?
Holi is also popular as the “festival of colors”, “festival of love” and also “festival of spring” It brings happiness and rejoices to one’s life with its vibrant colors.
This Holi, Ewen Realtors is also giving 2-5% off on property in Uttarakhand. As Ewen Realtors is building an elite-class township in Queen’s Meadow, Ranikhet to promote a happy, peaceful, modern, and green lifestyle.
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Conclusion
In India, since ancient times people celebrate Holi which is one of the most important festivals. It marks the beginning of spring after a long winter and is a Hindu festival.
Hindus refer to Holi as the “Festival of Colors” due to the childhood antics of Lord Krishna, a reincarnation of Lord Vishnu, who would splash village girls with water and colors.
Once an evil king Hiranye Kashyup thought he was God and ask his people of the kingdom to worship him and in fear everyone did.
But his sir didn’t worship him he was a follower of Lord Vishnu. So king Hiranye Kashyap desires his son to be slain.
He asked his sister “Holika” as she has a cloak that can protect her from burning she convinces Prahald to sit with her.
She wore her cloak and Prahalad was sitting expose so Lord Vishnu saved Prahald by making him covered in a cloak.
Lord Vishnu killed the king by coming in the avatar of “Narishma”. The death of the king made the people of the kingdom happy so they started making Holi.
Colored powder is smeared all over people’s faces, colored water is thrown at each other, and people dance under sprinklers.
Traditional celebrations include the consumption of bhang, a cannabis-based paste.