Holi 2010 -The Festival of Colors

By ENN, Holi is one of the major festival of Hindus in India, which comes in the month of Phalgun every year. It is the festival of colours & always observed on full moon day. This year Holi is falling on 28th Feb 2010 & Dhulendi on 1st Mar, 2010.

The eve of Holi is celebrated differently in different states in unique way. No matter how the festival is celebrated but it sends the same message to everyone. It sends the message of love, equality & brotherhood.

Prior to a month before this festival, the preparation starts in the entire country. Markets are decorated with the stocks of bright colours & colorful balloons. Sweet shops are all prepared with different & new varieties of sweets & other dishes. Different & new styles of pichkaris attract young children towards them & the whole town is seen busy in the preparation of Holi.

Hindu families have the ritual to cook different varieties of dishes on this eve. Womenfolk are busy in preparing Gujiya, papris, chips, mathri & other snacks for Holi.

This eve is also known as the festival of spring, as it comes at the end of winter season & brings summers with it. At the starting of summers, the season of spring comes which starts just after Holi.

Everyone welcomes this festival in the joyful & delightful manner. The fragrance of flowers & Gulal blooms in the air.

There are many stories which are stated behind this festival of colours. Like the legend of Prahlad, who is the devotee of lord Vishnu is also associate with the celebration of Holi. His father Hiranyakashyap was against his son & everytime he thinks of new ways to kill Prahlad. So on one day his sister sat on fire with Prahald so that fire catch the child & she came out of it by her tricks, but by god grace Holika was killed in that fire & Prahalad came out of it safely. Hence to celebrate the victory of good over bad, every year the program of "Holika Dehan" is set.

It is also said that Lord Krishna used to play with his Gopies, this festival through Gulals.

On the eve of "Chotti Holi' the ceremony of Holika Dahan is organized in the night. This ritual is also there in Gujarat & Orissa.

After "Chotti Holi' the day of colours come, which is known as the festival of "Dhulendi". On this day people celebrates the festival through bright colours, gulal, water balloons & pichkaris. People visits to their loveones & give them the wishes of Holi. People apply colours on each other & exchange gifts.

This festival is incomplete without the Ecstasy of Bhang. The Holi celebration includes the drinks & sweets of bhang. Holi songs are also played during the celebration.

People wish their friends through the holi greetings, holi messages & SMS. Many of them also download the pitchers & wallpapers of the festival.