Holi history. Holi Festival (India in March)

Nothing reveals a person, a country and even an entire nation like joy, hope, faith, love and death. Their light (yes, this is not a mistake, death is also not devoid of light) fills and reveals the most secret corners of our souls, showing us each other's faces as they really are.

This light penetrates between the bricks of the skillful masonry of the state walls, and behind them ... There is always one behind them. But to understand this, you have to go through many paths.

Do not be afraid to immerse yourself in the life of the place you are visiting. To go outside the tourist quarters, to leave the resort towns, to eat in the usual local canteens, including ... to attend the holidays.

We can say for sure that if you have not been to any holiday in your favorite country, have not attended any weddings, burial ceremonies there and have not seen how a new person is symbolically accepted into life - we can assume that you just drove past beautiful decorations, maybe and filled with some kind of life, maybe even beautiful, but having the most distant relation to the country you came to.

The brightest holidays in India

I recommend starting your acquaintance with Indian holidays with Holi or Diwali. Diwali and Holi are the favorite and most famous Indian holidays. Their symbolism will be close to you even if you are not interested in Indian culture and religion. After all, it is difficult to find a person who will be left indifferent by their two main elements - color and light. The popularity of Diwali and Holi among tourists is also explained by the fact that they come at the most comfortable time to visit India - the dry season.

Let's start with a story about Diwali - the Festival of Lights, symbolizing the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness, the desire and return of the soul to the light.

If you are looking forward to the end of the rainy season to finally head to the Indian Ocean (which in your case will most likely be the Arabian Sea), then try to make your trip late October-early November and before that do not forget to check the calendar of Indian holidays for the current year. - The exact date of the celebration of Diwali is "floating", it depends on the lunar calendar.

Preparations for Diwali are in no way inferior to European preparations for New Year and Christmas. It is worth noting that for some of the Indian communities, Diwali actually symbolizes the beginning of the new year. A couple of weeks before the holiday, markets fill trays with sweets, gifts, and firecrackers. The sellers of metal utensils will be especially profitable - after all, it is precisely this that you need to buy so that next year you will be happy.

In tourist areas, in cafes and restaurants, garlands and decorative lanterns with the wish “” are hung. The day before it is customary to spend the holiday general cleaning, getting rid of garbage and all unnecessary, forgiving, repaying debts.

Diwali is a festival of lights

During the celebration itself, which lasts five days, thousands of lights (no wonder the second name of the festival is the Festival of Lights) pierce the darkness, filling the space with warm light, firecrackers fly into the sky, candles, garlands, and lanterns are burning everywhere. Not without theatrical performances and burning of stuffed demons.

Like our New Year, Diwali is hard to imagine without gifts - they can be both expensive and large, and symbolic like small figures or coins with images and personifying prosperity.

In general, chaotic for a casual viewer, Diwali is traditional and ritualized to the smallest detail - everything is painted: on which day to which god to make offerings, which to do the cleaning, when to burn stuffed animals, etc.

Many people in India begin preparing for Diwali a few months before it begins: they adhere to a special fast, perform rituals, meditate, remember their ancestors, experiencing a kind of symbolic immersion in darkness, without which there would be no coming of light ...

But most tourists see in Diwali just a beautiful Festival, which, nevertheless, does not interfere with its spirit. We all instinctively feel the power of fire, fire turns to what is beyond our illusions and if we are ready to let it go there, if we are sensitive enough, we will have an amazing discovery of who we are, who we were and will always be.

During Diwali, all over India for five days (2 days before the holiday and 3 during), special festive pujas are performed - beautiful offerings to the gods, people's faces filled with hope also glow with smiles.

Tourists also do not avoid turning from darkness to light. Not a single autumn blues can stand such a spectacle, and if you come to Diwali, the victory of the forces of light over the forces of darkness will not escape your soul. Autumn mood will dissipate instantly! Who knows, maybe even until spring)

And if the first, the festival of lights of Diwali, falls in mid-autumn, coinciding with the beginning of the tourist season, then the second - Holi, on the contrary, symbolizes spring and anticipates its end. It is interesting to note that the autumn Diwali, symbolizing the movement towards the light, is primarily associated with the symbolism of the soul, but the spring “bodily” Holly, on the contrary, precedes the movement towards darkness ... and darkness gives rise to light and so on ad infinitum.

By the way, by the irony of fate and the logic of things - Holi is another New Year (well, spring!), So if you plan to spend the whole season in India (from October to April), you can celebrate the New Year as many as three times, including the European one.

Like the “autumn new year” of Diwali, Holi is not complete without burning effigies. This time, a very specific demoness, Holika, acts as a victim. According to one version, the name of the holiday is associated with her name. Another version says that the fire was directed not at all at the demon, but at the god of desire Kama, who was trying to interfere with Shiva's meditation.

But it is not so important who eventually won whom (lovers of Hinduism and legends can refer to the original source, we know that there is no one and no one to defeat) - not by fire alone, or rather not by them at all, Holi is so known to the whole world. First of all, it is a holiday of colors and love.

On this day, it is customary to sprinkle each other with colored herbal powder and paints, pour water over each other, dance and generally indulge in all kinds of Dionysian madness. An additional touch of hedonism to the holiday is also given by the tradition of drinking a special drink - bhang, which contains cannabinoids.

The fact that Holi is a holiday of colors is understandable, but what does love have to do with it? Because it's spring? Well, not only because, there are several more explanations.

Firstly, according to one of the versions, Shiva finally resurrected the god of love and desires Kama (of course, this was not without the demands of his wife!), Giving him strength for as much as 3 months a year. Secondly, the presence of love in the Holi symbolism is also confirmed by the main theme of the festive dances and another symbolic reference - to the games of Krishna with the cowherd boys. More about.

Here it is necessary to make a remark, when it comes to India, in most cases it is difficult to determine which god this or that Indian holiday is dedicated to - often the Indians themselves differ significantly in opinions here. But it is convenient for us - you can always choose the version that suits our condition and worldview, which is what many fans of India do.

Once falling in love with this country, many continue to celebrate its holidays, even after returning home. Or they never leave the state of the holiday, which also happens.

And if the celebration of Holi on the street (and at home) is quite difficult to imagine (a cat stained with watercolors will look strange), then decorating an apartment with candles and garlands in dark October-November is not at all difficult and certainly very pleasant. In general, what else can be said - a happy return from darkness to light and vice versa! ;)

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Not everyone knows that the most ambitious Holi festival of colors can be seen in India. Holi is a national holiday in India, the traditions of which they have been observing for more than three hundred years and are not going to abandon them in the near future. The festival of colors symbolizes the arrival of spring and the end of a long winter.

There is no exact date for the Holi Color Festival. It can be held in February or March, it all depends on the full moon - the day after it begins the festival.

Holi history

The first mention of this holiday appeared in the ancient Sanskrit, as well as in the Vedas (these are collections of ancient Hindu scriptures in Sanskrit). Another proof of the existence of this holiday is a stone inscription made three centuries ago.

Several legends that have come down to us through many generations explain the origin of this festival.

The first legend says that the name of the holiday was given in honor of the demoness, the sister of the strict and evil king Hiranyakasipu. The ruler gained the opportunity to live forever and therefore began to consider himself a god, and after that he forced everyone to worship only him. The son of this king, Prahlada, recognized only one of the divine beings - Vishnu, and no one could convince him of the power of other deities.

So the king's sister - Holika - decided to kill her nephew who did not believe in her father. For this, she told Prahlada to go to the fire, thus paying tribute to the god Vishnu. Everyone believed that the demoness does not burn in fire. It turned out quite the opposite - the sister burned down, and Prahlada was saved by the god Vishnu and left the fireplace unharmed.

There is another version of the legend, according to which the king was still endowed with eternal life and demanded full worship of his personality. But even in this story, the son did not worship the father, and the sister of King Holik supported Prahlada. Therefore, the ruler decided to punish his sister and son for their disobedience - to burn them on a sacred fire.

To save his aunt, Prahlada approached Vishnu, who gave him a sacred multi-colored scarf. This scarf was considered a gift of all the Gods, they needed to cover Holik in the fire itself. The prince did so, and he sat down next to his aunt, preparing to perish. But when the fire began to spread, the scarf flew off Holiki and covered Prahlada. This event further strengthened the faith of the heir in Vishnu.

After some time, the king was punished. When he was near his castle in the evening, God sent a deadly lightning to his heart. Thus, evil was punished and justice was restored.

Holiday customs

This tradition is most revered in the north of India.

A few days before the start of Holi in India, they paint the walls of houses, arrange many flower arrangements in the rooms, buy powder, dyes and special sprays.

Two weeks before the festival, preparations are underway for it at the city level - artists perform and collect funds for the event; firewood and brushwood are prepared for the festive fire.

The fire itself, on which the effigy of Holiki is burned, is made already at night. After that, the cattle are led through the fire, and then they are forced to walk on the remaining coals. The Indians themselves also walk on them. By this, the participants of the festival show their courage and courage. Residents of India believe that ash brings good luck, and the smoke from a fire dispels all the bad things that have accumulated over the winter. Not only firewood is thrown into the fire, but also fruits, vegetables, flowers, grain and other offerings to the deities.

The festival takes place with a huge number of songs, dances, playing on national musical instruments and unrestrained fun. Event participants throw colored powders at each other. They are obtained from finely chopped corn, dyed in different colors.

The traditional drink of the Holi festival is tandai with bhang. It is made from milk (or dairy products) and juice (or hemp leaves).

On this night, Hindus roll statuettes of different gods on a swing, showing them their respect.

This holiday is especially to the liking of children, because it is on this day that they are allowed any pranks. But adults, who have worked and raised their children throughout the year, do not mind taking a break from their hearts.

At the festival it is necessary to put on those things that you will not mind throwing away after the holiday, since there is a high probability that the paint will not be washed off.

As soon as the festival ends, people begin to visit each other, take fruits and vegetables as treats. Girls receive gifts from fans, and husbands on this day present gifts to their wives in the form of a beautiful dress. The holiday usually ends on the third day.

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The Holi Festival of Colors is not only a bright celebration, merry festivities and a sea of ​​emotions. This is a much more significant event - a centuries-old tradition that is highly revered in India.

Holi is celebrated annually in late February or March for five days. She personifies the beginning of spring and farewell to winter, because it is then that nature awakens ... And the celebration begins with the burning of a scarecrow. Does this remind you of something? It is true that in Russia there is a Maslenitsa holiday, which is somewhat similar to Holi. True, the legend of the origin of the idea of ​​holding a festival of colors is completely different.

If you want to know more about what the Indian Holi holiday is, how it is celebrated, and also if you are interested in colorful photos from this unusually beautiful celebration, then this article of our site is the site for you.

More about Holi

Holi in India is replete with all sorts of colors, laughter and cheerful voices sound everywhere. People sincerely rejoice at the arrival of spring, as it always remains the personification of new life, hopes, the birth of something beautiful. Therefore, it is not without reason that the festivities begin in late February - early March. The festival takes place on the day of the full moon, which in India is called Phalgun Purnima... Because of this, it turns out that every year Holi is held on a different day. For example, in 2017 the festival was celebrated on March 13-14, and in 2018 - on March 2-3.

Holi - an old holiday mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts... Even the highly respected and revered Vedas contain detailed descriptions of this celebration. It is no less surprising that a record was found about Holi, which dates back to at least 300 BC. NS.

And now we will tell the story of the appearance of Holi and why an obligatory part of the celebration is the burning of a scarecrow, sprinkling with colorful paints and pouring water.

Holi is celebrated all over India

Amazing legends about the origins of Holi

There is at least three legends that explain where the Holi holiday came from.

1. The first legend says that the holiday got its name in honor of the name of the demoness Holiki. As the sister of the evil king Hiranyakasipu, she tried to convince her nephew Prahlada, the son of the same ruler, to go to the fire in the name. Prahlada worshiped his god, and nothing could force him to give up his faith. The king's son was forced to enter the fire and, to everyone's amazement, Vishnu was saved. At the same time, Holika, who, it was believed, was not afraid of the flame, burned out. Since then, it has become the custom: on the first day of the holiday, one should make fires and incinerate an effigy of an evil witch who was trying to deceive the true believer Prahlada.
2. The second legend is again associated with Holika - the sister of the evil king. But, in this lending, she was kind, beautiful and sacrificial. The king, who received from one of the gods the most valuable gift - immortality - imagined himself to be a god and ordered everyone to worship him. But, these orders and threats did not act on his son, so he, as if nothing had happened, continued to believe in the true God. It would be very hard for the young man if not for his kind aunt Holika. She strongly supported her nephew, for which the king ordered to burn his sister and son. And then the prince began to pray even more to his god to help save his beloved aunt. And the prayers were answered - the young man received a multi-colored scarf as a gift from all the gods, which is able to protect him from fire. When the day came for the burning of the disobedient, the prince covered his aunt with a bright handkerchief. But, suddenly the wind blew and the scarf covered the prince himself, thanks to which he was saved. No matter how he tried to save Holika, it was too late. Even when the flames engulfed the unfortunate woman, she continued to look at her nephew with love.

Holik could not be saved, but the prince's faith grew even stronger. God could not stay away and decided to strike the cruel king, piercing his icy heart with lightning. So the evil was punished.

This legend explains why the inhabitants of India during the Holi festival are smeared with colorful paints and poured water on each other, why they sincerely rejoice and rejoice from the heart.

1. There is also a third legend. According to her, he incinerated the god of love Kama with his third eye for trying to bring him out of deep meditation. Because of this, he did not die, but lost his body. But the wife of Kama Rati and the wife of Shiva Parvati prayed that he would return his body to the god of love. And then Shiva gave Kama the opportunity to regain his bodily form for three months a year. At this time, everything around blooms, becomes beautiful. Joyful people celebrate this event as a holiday of love, rebirth, spring.

Of course, these are all beautiful legends that look more like science fiction stories. Let it be so. But after all, during the festival, the followers of Hinduism unite in order to celebrate the holiday all together, get vivid emotions, have fun and enjoy the coming spring. Perhaps this is how people find the strength to hope for a better future despite the possible hardships of life.

The festival brings everyone in India closer together

Holi color festival in different regions of India

Holi is a holiday that inspires awe for all Hindus, so they put in a lot of effort and time to celebrate it with dignity. The celebration is held throughout India, in every corner of it. And it is so many-sided, colorful and unforgettable that it is the perfect embodiment of the Indian people themselves.

Features of Holi celebration in each region of India are different... In addition, there may be different "culprits" of the celebration, that is, in different parts of the country, the holiday is dedicated to different deities.

In the center of the state, it is customary to decorate the roofs of buildings with many small lights. The symbol of fire must be present - orange flags waving and creating the illusion of tongues of flame. The spectacle is very bright and magical.

The southern regions of India have other specialties in celebrating the festival of colors. The events are held mainly with the participation of young people, while the older generation either visits or spends time at home. Mothers prepare various gifts and flowers for their children. They give them in the morning.

The northern part of the country has its own distinctive features of celebrating Holi. The bright tradition of hanging white, purple, pink, red decorations everywhere makes everything around incredibly colorful.

How to prepare for the celebration

Since the Holi festival is special for all followers of the Hindu religion and has a special meaning, preparation for it is carried out in advance... Everywhere there is an elated mood, the desire to have fun from the heart, to rejoice in the coming spring. Preparing for the holiday begins a few weeks before its start. Various materials are prepared, which will be useful for the festival, fundraising, concerts and ritual games begin.

Young people are especially eager to find everything that can be burned on the fires in honor of Holi. They prowl everywhere, collecting rags, brushwood, firewood and everything else that can burn. By the way, a special pride in this case - if you managed to steal something to create a large and bright fire.

The walls of various structures are painted in variegated shades, everything is decorated with flowers. The eyes are dazzled by the incredible color. But that is not all. It is necessary to prepare paints and sprinklers for water. They are freely available for sale, so neither locals nor visitors have any problems with this during the holiday period.

Celebration paints can be purchased at any stores in India

Traditionally, paints are used in green, red, yellow and pink.... They are in the form of a powder. They are made from safe hypoallergenic dyes and corn flour. But, true Holi fans will never buy ready-made holiday paraphernalia. They will create it on their own .

Fiery night: solemn festivities

The celebration begins on the day the full moon is due.... The main event kicks off in the evening. The most significant event must necessarily take place - the burning of an effigy of the evil and insidious Holiki. Instead, a decorated tree that personifies Holika can be burned.

Making a fire is a demonstration of the destruction of evil spirits that ruled in winter and hindered the onset of spring... In addition to a stuffed animal or a tree, flowers, grain, fruits and other offerings are burned to the god who rules the element of fire. All this is accompanied by dances, round dances, and singing. The most courageous walk on hot coals and jump over the fire. Many believe in the blessed power of fire and ash, so it is not uncommon for cattle to be forced to pass over a dying fire.

On the streets you can see staged dances that personify Krishna's flirtations with young beauties. Guys and girls take part in this action, and they also pour over each other lightly tinted colored water. To appease their other gods, believers swing statuettes of numerous deities on a swing.

What else happens during Holi

The festivities take place for several days, during which people visit each other and offer sweets and fruits. Husbands give their wives dresses, and admirers and grooms give girls. At this time, it is customary to drink the traditional solemn drink - bhang, which is prepared from dairy products, sugar, juice or hemp leaves. It helps to make the already cheerful mood even more elevated.

Many people know the Holi holiday of colors due to the tradition of generously showering each other and everything around with multi-colored powder. This part of the celebration is called Dhalundi... What happens in these moments! People of all ages, from young to old, begin to scatter loose paints everywhere. Everything around is colorful - hands, faces, clothes, earth, all sorts of objects and even animals found nearby.

For those who want and love to relax, indulging in pranks, it will be a lot of fun here. Many of these experienced guests of the celebration specially put on an outfit that they will not mind throwing away after the holiday. That is why people who are afraid of getting dirty, looking funny and ridiculous, it is better to stay away from this tradition.

How Holi ends

Unfortunately, nothing lasts forever, including such a wonderful holiday as Holi. Having destroyed evil spirits, appeasing the all-powerful gods, having plenty of fun, the inhabitants of India begin to return to their usual rhythm of life.

On the third day of the festivities, at about four o'clock in the afternoon, they are tired, but cheerful and contented, they wander home, remembering all the most interesting moments. They may have to wash themselves for more than one hour, but the mass of positive emotions obtained as a result is worth it.

Yes, the wonderful holiday has come to an end. But the participants of the event, having fun, did not lose heart. Having received energy for the whole year, they were charged with positive and will be filled with hope for the fulfillment of their cherished desires for a long time to come.

What date is Holi in 2019?

The festival is held two weeks after Mahashivaratri, a very important religious festival in India, which is the "Great Night of Shiva", on the full moon (purnima). This occurs in the month of Phalgun according to the Hindu calendar (approximately the month of March according to the Gregorian calendar).

Because of this, Holi has a different celebration date every year. In 2019, events and festivities timed to coincide with the celebration are designed for March 21-22.

If you are planning to travel to India during Holi, you might want to check out a few recommendations:

• If you do not want to get dirty with paints that will fly everywhere, do not go outside at this time.... If you decide to take part in the general fun, wear clothes that you can throw away without regret. Also consider how to at least partially protect your skin. Apply a greasy cream to face, neck, arms and chest before going out. So it will then be easier for you to wash off the dye, which is absorbed more firmly into dry skin.
• In some Indian cities, cafes, restaurants, shops, shops and other establishments are closed during Holi. Make sure you have everything you need in advance.
• Children during Holi can water everything and everyone around with water from the rooftops. Before going outside, carefully pack laptops and cameras in plastic bags, securely hide your phone and other gadgets.
• Holi can be attended not only by those who want to celebrate the holiday and have fun, but also those who want to enrich themselves at someone else's expense. There may be thieves around who will look for the right moment to cheat gape tourists. Hide valuables under your clothes, bags and backpacks in the front, making sure to support them with your hand.
• Be careful. During Holi, there are many residents of the country, which is why cases of hooliganism are possible.

If you want to see the festival in all its brightest and best manifestations, then you should go to Jaipur, Vrindavan or Mathur. They say that this is the most colorful holiday here.

There are also places that don't have Holi. Usually we are talking about ashram cities (for example, Puttaparthi). In all other cities and regions of India, the celebration is in full force. Many travelers come to the country only to become not just a passive observer, but also an active participant in mass festivities.

Is Holi celebrated in Russia?

Such a positive and full of bright emotions holiday could not bypass Russia either. Today, many cities organize events with music, colorful paints and other fun activities.

This is how Holi is celebrated in Russia

Mass festivities are held not only in Moscow and St. Petersburg, but also in other large cities of the country. They can be timed to coincide with other holidays, such as Youth Day, etc. For example, in Lyubertsy in the summer, the Colorave festival of colors took place, which brought together many adults and children who want to immerse themselves in the joyful atmosphere of carelessness, happiness, and unrestrained fun for a few hours.

The festival becomes popular all over the world

Holi is a wonderful, colorful, cheerful holiday that inspires hope in the souls of all participants in the celebration. It is magnificently celebrated not only in India, but also in Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bangladesh.

The festival is also celebrated in those countries where there are large diasporas of Hindus - in Guyana, Suriname, South Africa, Great Britain, Trinidad, USA, on the islands of Fiji and Mauritius.

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Holi- folk festival of colors, a holiday in India. One of the oldest holidays, it is mentioned in ancient Sanskrit texts and is described in detail in the Vedas. It marks the arrival of spring, symbolizes the expulsion of evil and the rebirth of life. Bengali New Year according to the Hindu calendar. The Holi Paint Festival is celebrated the day after the full moon at the beginning of March each year and lasts three days. Holi is celebrated on March 2 in 2018.

Holi legends. One of the most important Indian festivals in India is Holi, which is celebrated throughout the country. The holiday was preceded by several legends. According to one of the legends, the name of the Holi holiday comes from the name of the demoness Holiki.

Prahlada is a Hindu saint, a character in the Puranic texts of Hinduism, where he is described as an exalted devotee of Vishnu. Prahlada was born in Satya-yuga in the family of the great asura Hiranyakasipu, who subjected him to severe persecution. In one of his attempts to kill Prahlada, Hiranyakasipu put him on a funeral pyre with his sister Holika. Holika had a special blessing, according to which she could not be burned by fire. Prahlada simply began chanting the names of Vishnu and nothing happened to him, while Holika was consumed by the flames. It is this event that is celebrated in the Hindu Holi festival. The story of Prahlad is seen as a symbol of the victory of good over evil, and therefore traditionally bonfires are lit at Holi.

Holi legends and meaning. This day is also associated with the immortal love between God Krishna (the incarnation of Vishnu) and Radha. According to the legend, young Krishna complained to his mother Yasoda about why Radha is so bright and he is so dark. Yasoda advised him to paint Radha's face with multi-colored powder and see how her complexion changed. Radha and her gopi friends became angry and rushed at Krishna with sticks. He fled from them to his native Nandagram (Nandgaon). This game became part of a tradition that still exists in Barsan and Nandgaon.

Legend of Kamadev. Another legend is associated with God Shiva, one of the main Hindu gods. Once when Lord Shiva was meditating, Kamadeva, the God of love, decided to test his determination and appeared to Shiva in the form of a beautiful nymph. But Shiva recognized Kamadeva and became very angry. In a fit of rage, he poured fire from his third eye and incinerated Kamadeva. Later Kamadeva incarnated in the son of God Krishna. And now many people worship Kamadeva in the days of Holi, offering him mango flowers and sandalwood paste.

How it goes. Holi Indian Color Festival begins on a full moon night. On the first day of the festival, closer to the night, a fire is made to burn a huge stuffed animal or a decorated tree symbolizing the destruction of the wicked Holiki, after which the festival was named, and cattle are driven through fire and walking on coals. Holi campfire ash is believed to bring good luck.

Holi is celebrated with colorful parades accompanied by folk songs, dances and general fun. Participants shower each other with bright dye powders - gulal, made from finely ground cornmeal and dyed in red, green, pink and yellow (however, artificial colors are now also used) and doused with water. Everyone is involved - no distinction between caste, class, age or gender.

On the second day - Dhalundi, the Holi spring holiday continues with a visit to each other and drinking a special national drink - bhanga. The basis of the drink is dairy products and hemp juice or leaves. There are many varieties of bhang: based on yogurt, milk, spices, almonds and other additives.

Holi is very popular not only in India, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh, where it is known as Dolyatra or Bochonto Utshob (literally "Spring Festival"), but also in countries with large diasporas of Hindus, such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa , Trinidad, UK, USA, Mauritius and Fiji.

Recently, this holiday is also celebrated in Ukraine. It is held in the summer, since our natural features do not allow it to be held in the spring, and it is called the Holi Festival of Colors. Within the framework of the festival, there are parkour and freerunning competitions, natural paint fights and a water battle.

Photo: iStock / Global Images Ukraine

Holi is one of the most colorful and joyful celebrations in India. According to the Hindu calendar, it marks the end of winter and the beginning of the New Year. Holi is also called the festival of colors.

The world-famous carnival is held during the full moon phase. As a rule, this falls either at the end of the last winter month, or at the beginning of the first spring. In 2018, the famous carnival will take place on March 2-3.

Holi in India in 2018: the history of the celebration

Holi has been celebrated for centuries. Its description can be found in Sanskrit, in the Indian Vedas and other holy texts.

The emergence of Holi is also described in some legends.

According to one of the legends, Holi was named after the kind-hearted sister of the sovereign - Holiki.

The Indian ruler, one of the gods, gave eternal life. However, darkness took possession of the soul of the sovereign, and he considered himself equal to the gods, and forced the inhabitants of the state to bow only to him alone. However, the young prince did not agree with the will of the parent and continued to honor the real gods.

The young prince was supported only by his aunt - the wonderful Holika. The ruler, enraged by such a protest, ordered the disobedient family members to be set on fire. The prince prayed to God and asked to protect his beloved aunt. And the god heard the prince's prayers and gave him a multicolored stole as a gift - a sacred gift from all the gods, this scarf was supposed to protect Holika from the flame.

Before the execution, the prince threw the holy stole over Holiki's head and himself remained near her. When the fires were lit, the wind threw off the scarf from Holiki and hid the boy under it. The prince tried to protect his aunt, but he could not, the flame had already taken possession of the poor woman's body. Thus, Holika died, and the young prince remained safe and sound, after which the child even more believed in the power of the gods.

The king, by his actions, angered the great god who gave him immortality, and he punished him by piercing his hardened heart with lightning. Thus, good won.

Another legend has a similar content, however, there are significant differences. Holika, according to this legend, is called the sister of the sovereign, she was a witch, a very envious and evil woman. Prahlada, the son of a cruel monarch, bowed to the god Vishnu, his faith was so great that no one could disbelieve him in the power and might of God. Then Holika, whom the flame could not harm, tricked the prince to sacrifice herself in the name of God. When the prince decided to burn himself at the stake, something happened that no one could have imagined, Holika herself died from the fire, and Prahlada remained intact, thanks to the protection and intercession of Vishnu. For this reason, on the first day of the celebration, fires are lit and a doll of an evil sorceress is burned.

Holi in India 2018: traditions of the festival

Holi is an incredibly colorful, beautiful and long lasting festival in India. Holi preparations are made long before the start of the holiday itself.

Each region of India has its own distinctive features of Holi celebrations, and even dedicated to different gods.

In the south of the state, young people mostly take part in solemn events, and the older generation prefers to be at home or to visit. Mothers prepare presents for young children and give them in the morning - on New Years.

In the central part, it is customary to hang small lights on houses, and decorate the streets with orange flags, which symbolize flames.

With a special scale they approach the holiday in the northern part of India. The entire city is adorned with multicolored decorations. Before the celebration, even the walls of buildings take on a new look, they are painted in all the colors of the rainbow. Residents are buying up special water sprinklers and buying large quantities of dyeing powders of various colors. These powders are called gulal and they are made from corn flour and colored in different colors. Although many residents approach the holiday even more carefully, making everything they need on their own.

The holiday begins on the night of the full moon with a large bonfire, in which the Holiki doll is burned. It is believed that the ashes from the holy fire bring good luck.

All Holi days are full of colorful parades, folk songs, dances and festivities. Visitors to the festive events shower each other with multicolored paints and water. Various competitions and contests are held during the festival. All the inhabitants of India, without exception, participate in the celebration of Holi.