Mythological Significance :
Click here for Katha of
Holi and Poojan Viddhi in Hindi text
Hiranyakashipu was the king
of demons, and he had been granted a boon by Brahma, which made
it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was due to
his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be
killed 'during day or night; inside the home or outside; not on
earth or on sky, neither by a man nor an animal'. Consequently,
he grew arrogant, and attacked the Heavens and Earth. He
demanded that people stop worshipping gods and start praying to
him. But his own son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In
spite of several threats from Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad continued
offering prayers to Lord Vishnu. He was poisoned but the poison
turned to nectar in his mouth. He was ordered to be trampled by
elephants yet remained unharmed. He was put in a room with
hungry, poisonous snakes and still survived. All of
Hiranyakashipu's attempts at killing him failed. Ultimately he
ordered young Prahlad to sit on a pyre on the lap of his sister
Holika, who could not die by fire by virtue of a shawl which
would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. Prahlad
readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to
keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in
amazement as the shawl flew from Holika, who, then was burnt to
death, while Prahlad survived without a scar to show for it,
after the shawl moved on to cover him. The burning of Holika is
celebrated as Holi.
According to another story, Dhundha, the witch, or female demon,
used to harass small children. By lighting big fires it is
believed that she gets frightened and is driven out of the
village. Today the custom goes on of making big bonfires in
every lane of cities and villages. In this way a huge amount of
firewood and much needed fuel is destroyed. For this purpose
children consider it their right to collect wood from every
imaginable source. This in turn can easily lead to quarrels and
fights.
This feast is also known as "kamdahan" (the burning of lust), or
"Madandahan" (the burning of Madan). As the story goes, m order
to destroy the demon Tarkasur, the gods thought that only the
son of Shankar would have the needed power. But Shankar was lost
in meditation, not at all interested in marriage or sexual
pleasure. As Shankar was deeply engrossed in his penance, the
gods sent Madan to tempt him. Madan tried to draw Shankar's
attention towards Parvati. Then Shankar became angry and opening
his third eye on his forehead, he cast a fiery look on Madan and
reduced him to ashes.
Regional Celebrations :
Each area celebrates Holi
differently; the Bhil tribesmen of western Madhya Pradesh,
who've retained many of their pre-Hindu customs, celebrate holi
in a unique way. In rural Maharashtra State, where the festival
is known as Rangapanchami it is celebrated with dancing and
singing. In the towns of Rajasthan — especially Jaisalmer — the
music's great, and clouds of pink, green, and turquoise powder
fill the air. The grounds of Jaisalmer's Mandir Palace are
turned into chaos, with dances, folk songs, and colored-powder
confusion.
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