Essays

Holi is an important Hindu festival that is celebrated at the end of the winter season and the beginning of spring. The day is a gazetted holiday. Holi is verily a festival of colours.

People sprinkle dry colour powder or throw colour one one another. The joy is all around. Parties or groups of revellers gents and ladies and children move about with darkened or coloured faces and call others to come out and join them in the hilarity. They greet each other and embrace affectionately. The young ones however are in a delirious mood and throw coloured water or water balloons on everyone they happen to come across. Thus, meeting over, guests are treated to mouth-watering snacks and sweets and delicious eatables.

Holi is celebrated in honour of Prahlad, the son of mighty Hiranyakashyapa who thought himself to be as powerful as god. Young Prahlad did not agree with him. Hiranyakashyapa could not brook the idea that his son should worship anyone except himself.

The story goes on that the boy was tied to pillars and tortured but this did not have the desired effect. At last, his father ordered he be burnt alive. Lest he runs away, Prahlad's aunt agreed to hold him on in her lap. They were set on fire. The aunt however got burnt and young Prahlad through a miracle survived. It is because of this that big bonfires are lit indicating that truth prevails, the evil gets destroyed. In the final, triumph of good is over bad. Thus the day is celebrated as victory of good. Gaiety is everywhere in every form.

It is on this day that the farmers reap the new crop. It is indeed a day of happiness. In the rural areas the celebrations get more boisterous. Limits are crossed. Some people do not celebrate the festival in the true spirit.

They drink and get intoxicated and sing vulgar songs to the accompaniment of the dhol. Or they use abusive language as a licence of the day. Or they use mud and cow dung to smear the faces of their friends. Incidentally the chemicals in the colours do harm to the skin. Now- a-days however natural colours may get used to avoid danger to skin and eyes. In place of dry colour, sandalwood tilak is applied on the forehead.

Indeed clean Holi has to be played in tune with the theme of the festival. That indeed in the right spirit. Why harm anyone on a festive day? On this pious and holy day, no malice should be harboured against anyone. Do please forget old wounds and forgive. It is a day like that. Have no animosity against near and dear ones and friends, and make new friends that later on prove themselves as assets.

Some Major Festivals of India

1. Deepawali

2. Holi

3. Dussehra                               

4. Id-ul-Fitr

5. Id-ul-Juha                              

6. Christma

7. Gurupurab                             

8. Raksha Bandhan

9. Durga Puja                           

10. Chchath

11. Onam                                     

12. Pongal

National Festivals

We have only three national festivals:

1. Republic Day — January 26

2. Independence Day — August 15

3. Gandhi Jayanti — October 2