The Synergy Project Magazine - October 2020

HOLI
THE INDIAN
FESTIVAL OF
COLORS
By: Dhruvin Kamani
Holi is one of the most
important festivals in India. It is
celebrated each year with zeal and
enthusiasm in the month of March
by followers of every religion.
Those who celebrate this festival
eagerly wait for it every year to play
with colors and have delectable
dishes.
Holi is about celebrating
happiness with friends and family.
People forget their troubles and
indulge in this festival to celebrate
brotherhood. In other words, we
forget our enmities and get into the
festival spirit. Holi is known as the
festival of colors because people
play with colors and smear them in
each other’s faces to get colored in
the essence of the festival.
The Hindu religion believes
there was a devil king named
Hiranyakashyap long ago. He had
a son named Prahlad and a sister
called Holika. It is believed that the
devil king had blessings of Lord
Brahma. This blessing meant no
man, animal or weapon could kill
him. This blessing turned into a
curse for him as he became very
arrogant. He ordered his kingdom
to worship him instead of God, not
sparing his own son.
Following this, all the people
began worshipping him except
for his son, Prahlad. Prahlad
refused to worship his father
instead of God as he was a true
believer of Lord Vishnu. Upon
seeing his disobedience, the devil
king planned with his sister to kill
Prahlad. He made her sit in the
fire with Prahlad on her lap, where
Holika got burned and Prahlad
came out safe. This indicated he
was protected by his Lord because
of his devotion. Thus, people
started celebrating Holi as the
victory of good over evil.
People celebrate Holi with
utmost fervour and enthusiasm.
Holi celebrations start the night
before Holi with the Holika Dahan
where people light a bonfire, gather
around it, perform religious rituals
in front of the bonfire, and pray
that their internal evil be destroyed
in the same way Holika, the sister
of Demon king Hiranyakashipu and
aunt of Prahlad, was killed in the
fire with the help of God Vishnu.
The next day is probably the
most colorful day in India. Everyone
gets up early and prepares their
choice of weapon, such as pichkaris
(water guns), water balloons, colors
or mud. People go around different
areas to color people, throw them
and cover them in mud, and dance
in the water, all while colors are
thrown everywhere. Children
compete among themselves to see
how many people they can throw
water and colors at without getting
wet or colored themselves. DJs and
huge speakers play traditional and
modern songs, and people drink
the customary Bhaang made out of
cannabis, which is intoxicating.
Everyone, whether they are
rich or poor, man or woman, child
or elder, enjoys themselves to the
fullest because this is one of the
days where people forget about
everything and just live in the
moment.
THE SYNERGY PROJECT MAGAZINE
33