HOLI
WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF FESTIVAL
HOLI IS A HINDU SPRING FESTIVAL,ORIGINATING FROM INDIA,CELEBRATED PREDOMINANTLY IN INDIA BUT ALSO SPREAD TO NEPAL AND MANY OTHER WESTERN COUNTRIES, ALSO KNOWN AS THE FESTIVAL OF COLORS OR THE FESTIVAL OF LOVE.
THE FESTIVAL SIGNIFIES THE VICTORY OF GOOD EVER EVIL,THE ARRIVAL OF SPRING, END OF WINTER AND FOR MANY A FESTIVE DAY TO MEET OTHERS, PLAY AND LAUGH,FORGET AND FORGIVE AND REPAIR BROKEN RELATIONSHIP.
IT IS ALSO CELEBRATED AS A THANKSGIVING FOR A GOOD HARVEST. IT LASTS FOR A NIGHT AND A DAY,STARTING ON THE EVENING OF THE PURNIMA (FULL MOON DAY)
FALLING IN THE MONTH OF PHALGUN,WHICH FALLS SOMEWHERE BETWEEN THE END OF FEBRUARY AND THE MIDDLE OF MARCH IN THE GREGORIAN CALENDAR.THE FIRST EVENING IS KNOWN AS HOLIKA DAHAN OR CHHOTI HOLI AND THE FOLLOWING DAY AS HOLI, RANGWALI HOLI,DHULETI,DHULANDI OR PHAGWAH.
HOLI IS AN ANCIENT HINDU RELIGIOUS FESTIVAL WHICH HAS BECOME POPULAR WITH NON-HINDUS IN MANY PARTS OF SOUTH ASIA, AS WELL AS PEOPLE OF OTHER COMMUNITIES OUTSIDE ASIA. IN ADDITION TO INDIA AND NEPAL , THE FESTIVAL IS CELEBRATED BY INDIAN SUBCONTINENT DIASPORA IN COUNTRIES SUCH AS JAMAICA,SURINAME,GUYANA,TRINIDAD AND TOBAGO,SOUTH AFRICA MALAYSIA,AND OTHERS.
IN RECENT YEARS THE FESTIVALS HAS SPREAD TO PARTS OF UROPE AND NORTH AMERICA AS A SPRING CELEBRATION OF LOVE,FROLIC AND COLOURS.
HOLI CELEBRATIONS START ON THE NIGHT BEFORE HOLI WITH A HOLIKA DAHAN WHERE PEOPLE GATHER PERFORM RELIGIOUS RITUALS IN FRONT OF THE BONFIRE, AND PRAY THAT THEIR ENTERNAL EVIL BE DESTROYED THE WAY HOLIKA,THE SISTER OF THE DEMON KING HIRANYAKASHIPU,WAS KILLED IN THE FIRE.
THE NEXT MORNING IS CELEBRATED AS RANGWALI HOLI -A-FREE-FOR-ALL FESTIVAL OF COLORS, WHERE PEOPLE SMEAR EACH OTHER WITH COLORS AND DRENCH EACH OTHER.WATER GUNS AND WATER FILLED BALLONS ARE ALSO USED TO PLAY AND COLOR EACH OTHER.ANY ONE AND EVERY ONE IS FAIR GAME,FRIEND OR STRANGER ,RICH OR POOR,MAN OR WOMAN ,CHILDREN AND ELDERS. THE FROLIC AND FIGHT WITH COLORS OCCURS IN THE OPEN STREETS, OPEN PARKS, OUTSIDE TEMPLES AND BUILDINGS. GROUPS CARRY DRUMS AND OTHER MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS, GO FROM PLACE TO PLACE, SING AND DANCE. PEOPLE VISIT FAMILY , FRIENDS AND FOES TO THROW COLORED POWDERS ON EACH OTHER, LAUGH AND GOSSIP, THEN SHARE HOLI DELICACIES, FOOD AND DRINKS.
IN THE EVENING AFTER SOBERING UP, PEOPLE DRESS UP AND VISIT FRIENDS AND FAMILY.
HOLI CELEBRATED AS A FESTIVAL OF LOVE THIS HE DOES, AND RADHA AND KRISHNA BECAME A COUPLE OF LOVE.
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