The first day of the festival coincides with the full moon night of Phalguna. In the evening, fires are lit and people walk around the flames with an offering of water and grains as a form of worship.
The story goes that a demon king called Hiranyakasyapu had a son Prahlad, who was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. This infuriated his father. In spite of many warnings, Prahlad didn’t cease his devotion. The king tried to kill him in many ways and finally called for his sister Holika. She was blessed by the Gods that no fire would hurt her.
The king made her take his son on to her lap and sit in a fire. To everyone’s surprise, Holika was burnt and Prahlad remained unscathed.The burning of Holi commemorates this event and is a symbolization of the triumph of good over evil.
On the second day, that is called ‘Dhuleti’ here in Gujarat; people celebrate by throwing colored powders and water on each other. There is a lot of merriment in the air. Music, dancing and revelry are very much a part of it.
That day is tomorrow. My group (kutumb) and I are hosting a party for about a 100 of our Holi loving friends. It promises to be a wonderful day. Watch this space for more…
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