Holi
Holi is known as Basant Utsav in rural India. Holi is celebrated in almost all parts of the country considering it is one of the most revered and celebrated festivals in India. It is sometimes called a “Festival of Love” because on this day people unite and forget all grudges and all kinds of bad feelings for each other.
It is one of the great festivals in India and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. This famous festival takes place once a year, starting on Purnima, the full moon day of Falgun month, which takes place on the night before Purnima. It is celebrated under the name Holika Dahan or Choti Holi on the first night of the festival and the following day is called Holi.
The vitality of color is something that brings a lot of positivity into our lives and Holi as a celebration of color is indeed a day worth enjoying. Holi is a famous Hindu festival that is celebrated with great joy and enthusiasm in all parts of India. The ritual begins with lighting a fire the day before the actual day of Holi, and this act symbolizes the victory of good over evil. On the day of Holi, people play colors with their friends and family and at night they show love and respect to their loved ones with Abeer.
Gulal, Abeer and Pichkaris are synonymous with festivals. Complex plans are made for coloring loved ones. Everyone wants to be the first to color the others. In the next color battle, everyone is immersed not only in the color of Gulal but also in love and joy. People love to shower others and themselves with colored water. Gujiya and other sweets are offered to everyone
The temples are beautifully decorated in the time of Holi. Radha’s idol is placed on the swing and the devotees rotate the swing and sing devotional songs for Holi. Currently, small plays are organized to reflect the spirit of the festival.
What is very much the same across the country is Holly’s spirit. Fun, entertainment, riots, and even jokes characterize this festival of colors. What more can you ask for – when bhang-drinking people get socially penalized, not only do they open their hearts but also their lungs as well. And viola, no one is expected to be offended as the norm on the day of Holi is “Bura na mano Holi hai”.
Legend and Mythology
In some parts of India, especially Bengal and Orissa, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (1486-1533 AD). However, the literal meaning of the word “Holi” is “to burn”. Various legends explain the meaning of this word, the most famous of all is the one related to the demon king Hiranyakashyap.
Hiranyakasyap wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship only him, but to his great disappointment, his son Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana. Hiaranyakasyap ordered his sister Holika to enter the blazing fire with Prahlad on his lap. As Holika had a boon that makes her immune to fire.
The story goes that Prahlad was saved by God himself because of his great devotion, and the evil Holika was cremated because his grace worked only when she walked into the fire alone. As a result, she paid the price for his dark desires, while Prahlad was saved by God’s grace for his extraordinary devotion. Therefore, the festival celebrates the victory of good over evil and the victory of devotion.
The legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with the play of colors as the king started the tradition of playing with colors by applying colors to his favorite Radha and other gopis. The legends of Radha and Krishna are closely related to this Holi color tradition. Young Krishna, who has dark skin, is jealous of Radha’s very beautiful skin. In a mischievous mood, he applies paint to Radha’s face. According to this old legend, people who are in love still want to color their lover as an expression of love. Gradually, the play gained popularity among the people and became a tradition.
There are several other legends associated with the festival – such as the legends of Shiva and Kamadeva and Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. All of them depict the victory of good over evil and give philosophy to the festival.
The Tradition of BHANG
Associated with Lord Shiva, bhang has become synonymous with holi. So much so that the bhang drink has become the official Holi drink.
Selected from cannabis leaves and buds – the highly intoxicating bhang helps to elevate the Holi spirit – a party that knows no bounds. Thandai, pakora, and vada, all with bhang as the essential ingredient, are enjoyed by everyone throughout the day.
A Brief History of Bhang
Bhang was first mentioned around 1000 BC. It was used as liquor in India and soon became an integral part of Hindu culture. In the ancient Atharvaveda text, bhang is described as a beneficial herb that “reduces anxiety”. Preparation of bhang is sacred to the gods, especially Shiva. One of Shiva’s nicknames is “Lord Bhang” because he is said to have discovered the transcendental nature of the mixture.
Many sadhus imitate Shiva and use bhang to enhance meditation and attain transcendental states. In addition, bhang, or marijuana, is believed to have long been popular among Sufis as an aid to spiritual ecstasy.
As old as it is, bhang has become an integral part of Indian tradition. So much so that it became a symbol of many things. They may or may not be pure superstition. But if you understand the sentimental and emotional nature inherent in Indians, you can easily feel the emotional connection people have with bhang.
To the god Shiva, the hemp plant is considered sacred by Hindus. There is even a belief that meeting someone wearing bhang is a sign of success. And if longing for a flax plant means happiness, seeing it in a dream will guarantee future human prosperity. Moreover, walking under the feet of the sacred bhang leaves kills death for a person.
People also strongly believe in the healing properties of the hemp plant. When taken in reasonable amounts, bhang cures fever, dysentery, and sunburn. Helps clear phlegm, accelerate digestion, increase appetite, treat imperfections and wheezing. It also refreshes the intellect and brings alertness to the body and joy to the mind.
Bhang Preparation in Banaras
The tradition of eating Bhang on Holi is very common in North India, where Holi itself is celebrated with a joy not found anywhere else.
But the center of Bhang is Varanasi or Banaras, the land of worship of Shiva, where Bhang is prepared for its famous ghats.
Throughout the ghats, one can find a large number of men involved in making bhang. Using a mortar and pestle, the cannabis buds and leaves are crushed and ground into a green paste. Milk, ghee, and spices are added to this mixture. The bhang base is ready to be turned into a nutritious and refreshing drink – thandai, a healthy alternative to alcohol. Bhang is also mixed with ghee and sugar to make delicious green halva, and in small, chewy balls called “golees”.
Holi Safety Tips:
Here are some tips and suggestions to make your living room safe and cheerful.
- Play it safe. Don’t be rude or let others treat you harshly.
- The best option is to play with homemade natural colors. Your skin and hair feel like they have been forged using natural, skin-friendly products.
- If natural color is not possible, make sure the color quality is better. Purchase flowers from a reputable shop or retailer.
- Use more red or pink colors that look good and are easy to remove. It turns out that purple, green, yellow, orange contains more harmful chemicals and should be avoided.
- Make sure your face is well oiled before and after the game.
- Apply it well to your hair to prevent this color from sticking to your hair and easy to wash off later.
- Be careful not to get dust or other products into your eyes. Holly’s eyes are especially vulnerable due to their strategic location in the body as well as the use of harmful chemicals in paint today. Keep your eyes are protected at all times. Wear sunglasses to protect your eyes from colored arrows or falling jets of water.
- Put on your worst clothes so you don’t have to worry about the hassle of washing clothes right away.
- Fabrics like ragged denim and light colors like black, blue, green, purple are highly recommended.
- Try to save yourself from all kinds of facial attacks. If this fails, keep your eyes and lips tightly closed as they strike your face.
- Do not use permanent dyes. If someone has applied it to you, don’t rub the soap directly on your face to remove it, especially if it’s wet. Instead, use quality cleansing milk to remove it. This is better than using soap that dries your skin.
- Rotten eggs when thrown at your head, rockets flying from local buildings…not too bad, they will stink, but they take good care of your hair. But tar, dirt, cell phones, rocks, and all the trash that can get you exposed doesn’t. Avoid being intimidated.
- Soak even longer, after the whole holi holiday is over. Frequent bathing, washing your face repeatedly will damage the skin. You will also lose hair because too much soap/shampoo has a drying effect.
- If you are prone to skin allergies, avoid playing with Gulal completely. Going to a dermatologist (skin specialist) is pointless if the damage is already done.
- When jumping, avoid running on wet floors to avoid slipping and hurting yourself.
- Carefully indulging in bhang, drinks, or food…so you won’t regret it later.
- Do not drive if you are addicted to alcohol or alcohol.
- Have painkillers, antioxidants, and anti-allergy pills on hand if all of the above tips are ignored.
DIY holi color:
Holi fans will be pleased to know that it is possible to create simple, natural colors in the comfort of your kitchen. Here are some very simple recipes for making natural colors:
Color making method:
- Magenta: Soak the chopped beets in water, boil the mixture and leave it overnight. If you want a lighter color, dilute the mixture a little more. You can also use onions for this.
- Red: Dry the red rose petals in the sun until they are crispy and crunchy. Grind them in a blender and add white flour to increase the quantity.
- Red hibiscus flowers can also be dried in the sun and then ground in a blender to get a homemade bright red holi color.
- Green: To get a beautiful green gulal, you can use henna powder or Mehendi. To make a liquid paste, you can mix the henna powder in water or oil, or use green leafy vegetables like spinach. Keep in mind that soaking henna in water can leave light spots on the skin.
- Yellow: Take two parts turmeric and four parts flour. Mix the two to get a nice bright yellow powder. Add yellow chrysanthemums to the above mixture if you want to increase the brightness of the color. Also, soak the cooked marigold flowers in water overnight to retain the natural wet yellow color you created.
- Blue: Blue Hibiscus Leaf Powder and Rice Flour can be used to make Blue Gulal. For wet flowers, you can mix crushed and dried jacquard flowers with water.
Author: Nikita Sharma
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