If you love to travel and want to experience a once in a lifetime festival of bright colours, dancing, warm people you must consider this one!
Festival of colours – India (Holi)
Holi- not the best time to wear your best white clothes!
Festival of Holi, or the Festival of Colours, is a festival religiously celebrated in spring time by most Hindu people. Holi is said to be the most colourful festival. It serves as harvest festival as well as a welcoming festival for spring season. The word Holi comes from the word “Hola” meaning to offer prayer to the Almighty as thanksgiving for good harvest.
Holi is said to be the celebration of colours of unity and brotherhood, in which we are given a chance to forget all differences to each other and indulge in fun. Teenagers spend time flirting and misbehaving on streets, while adults extend their hands for peace. Everyone is chasing everybody, and throwing bright colored natural powder and water on them. On this day people are happy hugging and wishing each other Happy Holi.
People use bright natural colored powder (gulal) to throw to everyone. Ancient Indians believed that there were benefits of the fragrance of the natural colours for our skin and health. Holi is also celebrated with actual flower petals choosen for their fragrance. The festival of colours is associated with a dance known as Raaslila.
The legend of Holi centers on the story of a demon, an arrogant king named Hiranyakashyap who wanted to rule Earth. He was self-centered and wanted everybody to worship him. His biggest disappointment was his son Prahlad, who became a devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father. And so the wicked king tried to kill his son many times but always failed. Finally, he asked his sister Holika to enter in a blazing fire with his son sitting on her lap. However, the boy was left unharmed while his aunt was burned to death. Prahlad supposedly survived by chanting the name of the Lord Naarayana, so the lord blessed him for his sincere devotion. Today, Holi is celebrated as a festival of victory over good and evil, and as the celebration of the devotee.
The Legend of Prahlad
Holi is observed on the day of the last full moon of the lunar calendar, which usually falls in either February or March. The Holi celebration begins with lightning a bonfire on Holi eve.
For you all travellers who love colourful, warm culture it’s really a must to visit India and experience their Festival of Colours!
The Festival of Colour is not to be missed out on, but in between the crowds and the paint, things can get lost. So make sure you cover yourself with a single travel insurance, and then you can really let yourself go!
Awesome! Book the tickets!
This seems like the happiest, most magical festival ever!
Do certain colors mean different things? If you stay out and get covered with all the powers don’t you turn yucky brown?
How long does the festival run?
Is it in one city or country wide? I want to see this!
I would love to see Festival Holi. Have seen some amazing pictures online but I guess experiencing it would be marvelous!