India is a land of festivals. Here, a festival presents a glimpse of different traditions and customs. After the winter season, arrives the spring season when everywhere we can see blossoming of colorful flowers, indicating the arrival of Holi. Holi is a festival of natural beauty. It is celebrated every year on the Purnima of Phalgun month. Just a night before Holi, a bonfire is burnt(Holika Dahan). And, on the next day morning itself, people start playing with colors. In 2024, Holi, the festival of colors will be celebrated on 8th March. The festival of Holi is also known as Dulhandi.

Holi is a festival of colors and fun. This festival is celebrated 40 days before the spring season. Generally, we see the festival of Holi is celebrated as a symbol of unity, leaving behind all sorts of hatred. On this day, people mix color in water and drench each other. Using natural colors made by mixing of sandalwood, saffron and rose, also essence etc. with water of Tesu flower, increases the beauty of this festival.

Holi in Ancient Times

In the mythology, festival of Holi started with Barsana’s Holi played by Radha and Lord Krishna. Then the Mugals, celebrated Holi in their way. In the rule of Mugals, preparation for the festival used to start from many days in advance. Holi celebrated by the Mugals is indicated in many historical books. In which, Akbar, Humayun, Shahjahan, BahadurShah Zafar, where the chief rulers with whom Holi was played.

During the Rule of Akbar, colors where made in huge utensils with natural items. With the making of colors, delicious edibles were also prepared. An environment of joy and color was created. Tansen used to fascinate people with his voice. Something of this type could be seen at the time of Jahangir and Bahadur Shah Zafar. Such type of days used to give normal people an opportunity to go near the emperors and meet them.

Today, the colors and excitement of Holi is not just restricted to India and it’s state, but, the colors have flown to other nations as well. It seems as if our culture and traditions are expanding their boundaries. This festival is a symbol of love and affection. We should celebrate it by enjoying the waves of colors, restraining our fun and being in the boundaries of our freedom.

How to celebrate Holi in Modern Age?

In the olden days, Pichkaria where used to play Holi, but, the wheel of time turned and things changed. Today only small children use Pichkaries. Every age group use different resources and ways to play Holi. Where, on one hand, upper class people use perfume, sandalwood, good quality Gulal, on the other hand, some other people celebrate Holi with water, mud, and at times with dirt.

The festival of holi is celebrated by children, young, adults, men and women, without any discrimination or inequality, putting colors on each other. The crowd gathers up to wish Dulhandi in the morning itself. On the day of Holi, familiar faces also hide in the colors and can’t be identified and recognised. In order to give respect to elders, Gulal is applied on their feet and blessings are taken. Same age group people apply Gulal to each others forehead and wish Holi with a hug. The small ones are wished by applying Gulal with affection.

The Special Thing about Holi

On every festival of India, some or the other delicious dish is prepared. Celebrating our happiness with recipes gives a different kind of joy. Thandai, is the speciality of Holi. In which saffron, cashews and almonds are mixed with large amount of milk, making it pleasing in taste. With Thandai, Gujiyas are prepared from Khoa and Kanji as well. The guest who come to wish Holi are offered with these items as a gesture of hospitality. And, forgetting all enmities, people hug each other. The festival which make friends out of enemies, leave behind its color of joy on every one’s face for many days.

The color of Holi festival, comes to it’s liveliness as the sun rises. People playing Holi get into a group, this group then singing, dancing, playing drums on folk songs, go to every house to wish Holi. And, from every house some members of the family join this group. By the time of noon, a small group keeps on adding up members and turn into a huge gathering. This group of people, sing and dance enjoying Holi, swing with the intoxication of Bhang, which gets down only when sunsets.

The group of people singing folk songs, depicts an emotion of not just love but also separation. “Today is Holi”.......the echo can be heard from every side.

Holi and Self-Expression

Holi, in the Indian society is a mirror of expression of public emotions. Here, festivals like Holi, play an important role in joining family to the society. Today, to keep the societies combined with each other, festivals like Holi have become the need. In the run of modernity, the essence of humanity has vanished from the cities. In villages, where on a person’s illness, all villagers come to ask about him, where problem of one person is taken as problem of whole village. On the contrast, in cities, it take years to know who lives in the flat nearby yours. Considering all the facts, indicate that the requirement of Holi is more for cities, to break this silence of there lives.