Holi 2022 Today: History and Significance of the Festival of Colours

Holi is one of the biggest festivals of the Hindu religion.

Often referred to as the festival of colours, Holi is celebrated with great zeal and enthusiasm across various parts of the country.

The two-day festival starts with Holika Dahan on the full moon day of the Phalgun month of the Hindu calendar.

The following day people play with colours as part of the main celebration of the Holi festival. The Covid-19 pandemic had badly affected the Holi celebrations for the past two years.

However, with the situation being under control this time, the enthusiasm in Holi celebrations is likely to return.

Another type of famous style of Holi celebration is Dhuleti which is played by men and young boys who form a human pyramid to break a pot of buttermilk, which is hung at a significant height from the ground. This form of celebration is famous in Gujarat.

Apart from signifying the victory of good over evil, Holi also marks the arrival of the spring harvest season and the end of winters in India.

Holi has different styles and forms across the country. In one of the most famous forms of Holi celebration, Lathmar Holi of Uttar Pradesh Pradesh's Barsana, women beat men with a stick. The men protect themselves from this with a circular shield.

Lathmar Holi is played in areas like Vrindavan, Gokul, Mathura.

The festival Holi originates from the Hindu mythological tale of Hiranya Kashyap, the demon king, who wanted to be immortal and be worshipped by everyone.

However, his own son, Prahlad worshipped Lord Vishnu. This irritated Hiranya Kashyap and he asked his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to sit on fire along with Prahlad.

As Holika sat with Prahlad, the fire could not harm Prahlad but consumed Holika. Hirana Kashyap was then killed by Lord Vishnu.