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The story behind the joy of colors – Holi
by Admin | February 28, 2021
What is the Story Behind Holi, The Festival of ColorsHoli is a unique festival of colors celebrated in India in the month of March. Holi is marked as much by religious fever and devotion as it is by loud music, traditional dances and of course the forceful scrubbing of bright gulaal and a group of friends and relatives.There are numerous stories associated with Holi celebration and one of the most popular ones is of Holikam. The story of Holika Dahan (Holika’s death) signifies the triumph of good over evil. Holika is associated with the annual bonfire on the night before Holi.Why We Celebrate Holi FestivalThe festival signifies the victory of good over 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 ruptured relationship great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when it is actually the time for the play of colors.Shops and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get crazy and whacky. People chasing each other in the streets, fields, temples, and buildings, armed with packets of dry powdered paint and splattering random people from head to toe in colors.It’s a free-for-all. It’s madness. And it’s really freaking fun! Some people get so into it that they carry water guns spiked with paint or colored water-filled balloons and drench their friends and enemies. What is the story behind Holi festival Bright colors fill the air and people take turns in pouring color water over each other.Some Tips to Celebrate Holi for KidsChildren take special delight in spraying colors on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies – applying colors and exchanging greetings.Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day. Parties are often organized where people dance to music and greet each other with colors. What more can be expected- when the people get a social sanction to get intoxicated on the bhang, open not just their hearts’ out but also their lungs. And voila, nobody is expected to take offense too, as the norm of the day is, ‘Bura na mano Holi hai’. In India.How to celebrate Holi in different waysHoli is celebrated in various ways like The Banjara tribes of Andhra Pradesh celebrate Holi in their own way. Graceful dances are performed by the colorful Banjara gypsies. Holi is regarded with the name of Phagwah or the festival of colors in Assam.It is a 3-5 day affair for the people residing in here. Though all the local regions of Assam have the same rituals during Holi, Barpeta is known to celebrate it in an entirely unique and grand style.Many people from other parts of India, world, and Assam itself travel to Barpeta to enjoy the Doulutsava! In Bengal, the students dress up in saffron-colored clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers.Holi Festival and FactsHoli is known by the name of ‘Dol Jatra’, ‘Dol Purnima’ or the ‘Swing Festival’. The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the idols of Krishna and Radha on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken around the main streets of the city. In Barsana, men from Nandgaon, the land of Krishna come to play Holi with the girls of Barsana and hope of raising their flag over Shri Radhikaji’s temple. But, instead of colors, they are greeted with sticks by the gopis. Hence, the Holi get its new name here-Lathmaar Holi.The story behind Holi People from all corners of India, rather, world gather at Mathura-Vrindavan every year to feel the essence of Holi in the land of Krishna.Which Legends behind the Festival of ColorsPeople relive the legends of Holi associated with Radha and Krishna and play pranks the young Krishna played with the cowgirls called gopis.The underlying feeling of this fun-frolic was love and devotion. Even today, romance can be experienced in the very atmosphere in the Krishna-nagari.Women of Haryana, specifically the bhabhis too get an upper hand on the day as they get a social sanction to beat their devars and take a sweet revenge for all the mischiefs they have played on them. This revengeful tradition is called the Dulandi Holi.Health benefits of ThandaiHoli is incomplete without its mouth-watering dishes & recipes like Dahi Wada, Malpua, Moong-Dal kachori, Gujiya, Dhuska and many more. Thandai is embedded with the tradition of Holi.A refreshing and healthful drink thandai is savored in the midst of the play of colors when people become a little exhausted throwing each other in the pool of colored waters.Thandai BenefitsA glass of Thandai offers instant energy and sets the mood for playing with color. Besides, when laced with the intoxicating bhang it can make one sing, dance and go wild. In fact, bhang thandai is used as a mood setter for the festival of Holi.Although home-made thanda is always tasted better, in Banaras and elsewhere in India, it is now possible to buy commercial concentrates and make instant thanda is In modern times, Holi has become ruthlessly commercialized, boisterous and yet another source of environmental degradation.To de-pollute Holi and make it in sync with nature, as it is supposed to be, several social and environmental groups are proposing a return to more natural ways of celebrating Holi. Using Natural Holi colors and saving water are some ways in which you can serve the environment.Purchase Natural Holi Colors:For those who do not have the time to make their own colors, there is the choice of buying natural Holi colors. If natural colors are your choice then here is your Indian Grocery Store in Melbourne. To celebrate in Melbourne, come down to our grocery store in Melbourne Sarawan Spices. Holi knows no bars, Holi knows no boundaries too.Across the world wherever Indians or people of Indian origin are present Holi is celebrated with gusto and bonhomie. Australia Celebrates Holi to keep the Light of Love Burning in Hearts of people! On the day of Holi, the people there in Melbourne gets lost beneath the wishy-washy miasma and cloud of colorful powders. Holi is celebrated in the Victorian capital for it being kaleidoscopic in nature.Is Holi Festival Celebrates in AustraliaIn Australia Celebrates Holi, Several events are organized all over in Australia where people play with non-toxic colors. Most of the people on this day dress themselves up in white traditional clothes and attend the party or events where they hurl colors on each other.Melbourne specifically organizes for the Holi festival event which is the best way for the Indians to quench their desire to be drenched in multi colors.The festival here in Australia is an opportunity for the people of Australia to deepen their understanding of the Hindu religion which is a way of giving a warm welcome to the season of spring and saying goodbye to the darkness of the winters.The festival is an opportunity for Australians to promise to themselves to always be successful over the evil with their own good.Holi is a festival when people can 3 extend warm wishes to each other and bring their loved ones closer inculcating the spirit of friendship and fun. People get to understand about the background of each other in a society wherein people from diverse culture live together.