HOLI ESSAY 3 (500 WORDS)

HOLI ESSAY 3 (500 WORDS)

Introduction

Holi is a very famous festival of colours celebrated every year in the month of ‘Phalgun’ or March by the people of India with great joy. It is the festival of lots of fun and frolic activities especially for the children who start the celebration a week before and continue a week after the festival. Holi is celebrated by the people of Hindu religion all over the country especially in North India in the month of March.

Legend and Story behind the Festival

There are many stories and legends behind celebrating Holi in India for years. It is the festival of great importance and significance. According to the Hindu mythology, it is considered that Holi celebration was started long ago when Holika was burnt in the fire while trying to kill her own nephew in the fire.

It is believed that there was a demon king called Hiranyakashyap, father of little Prahlad who tried to kill his own son in the fire when Prahlad denied to worship him as Prahlad was a great devotee of the Lord Vishnu. When Hiranyakashyap failed in many of his strategies to kill Prahlad, he ordered his own sister, Holika to sit in the fire by taking Prahlad in her lap as she was booned for never getting harmed by fire.

However, this strategy was also failed as little Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and he was saved by his God. Holika was burnt in the fire and Prahlad was saved. From that day, people of Hindu religion started celebrating Holi every year.

Holika and its Customs

The day before Holi, people make a heap of woods on the cross roads and burn it symbolizing Holika and celebrate ‘Holika Dahan’ ceremony. People also take many rounds of the burning Holika and worship it to get blessed with prosperity and good health by burning all the sins and diseases in the fire. There is also a custom in north India where people massage the body using mustard paste and then burn it in Holika hoping to get rid of all diseases and evils of the body.

How do we celebrate Holi?

The next morning after ‘Holika Dahan’, people celebrate the colourful festival of Holi by getting together at one place and throwing colors to each other playfully. Holi preparations start a week before the main festival. People, especially children, are highly enthusiastic who start buying different colours a week before the day.

Even they start playing with colours with their friends, neighbours and relatives with ‘pichkari’ and small balloons. The celebration gets started in the morning when people with lots of colors visit their friends and relatives and color them. Holi delicacies comprise of ‘gujhiya’, sweets, ‘pani puri’, ‘dahi bade’, chips etc which are enjoyed by the guests and as well as by the hosts.

Conclusion

Holi is the festival which is mostly focused on spreading brotherhood and love. The colors used in the festival are bright which showcases the prosperity and happiness. Holi also symbolizes the triumph of good over evil which is the soul of most of the Indian festivals. It also teaches us to follow the righteous path and to stay away from evils of the society.