On the fifth day of the dark half of Phalgun (in 2001 Phalgun is from February 8 to March 9) the feast of Color is celebrated. On this day some people throw colored powder ("gulal") or colored water on each other. Holi heralds the spring, and stands for the hope for new crops, youth and vigour, as well as an invocation to the New Year. There are many legends associated with Holi.
Holi, The Fire Festival- Legends:
On the full moon day of the month of Phalgun the feast of Holika Dahan
is celebrated. According to the Puranas and the Bhagavat, uncle Kansa, in an attempt to kill the boy Krishna, sent Putna, a female demon, with the hope that he would drink her poisonous milk. But Krishna drank the milk, and
also sucked Putna's blood. Thus he digested the poison and Putna died. During the night of Holi a big fire is lit in which Putna is burnt.
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.
The most important legend connected with Holi is that of Prahlad. The boy Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, and could not be swayed by all the tortures that his father, the near-invincible demon
Hiranyakashipu, subjected him to. A fourth legend talks about Shiva destroying Kama, the god of love. Parvati was deeply in love with Shiva who was deep in meditation. In order to help Parvati, Kama interrupted Shiva's
meditation, and was reduced to ashes by Shiva. Shiva's period of meditation signifies winter, and his marriage with Parvati, new life and fulfilment.
Another legend visualises Krishna playing Holi with his gopikas, or female companions. Holi is arguably older than the legends connected with it. The Holi bonfire may have been first sparked off to signify the warmth of the approaching spring. The festival - and the boisterousness and splashing of colours associated with it - may also have originated from the people's intrinsic need to shed solemnity and restraint. There is the usual spurt in commercial activity. Colours lie in heaps in market places. Shops do brisk business in sweets, and sell even Holi greeting cards now.
Rituals:
Holi is celebrated with fervour in Mathura, the land of Lord Krishna. Revellers go from house to house to throw colour and dance. The original colours used were red and green - red for desire and green for youth and vigour. Garlands of sugar disks, known as batashas, are given to friends. The dried twigs and leaves of winter go into bonfires. People circle the fire, shouting, "Holika is dead." (Holika is the demoness who comes as winter.) Often, effigies of Holika and Kama are thrown into the flames. The bonfire ashes are considered sacred, and the day is thus referred to as Dhulivandan (dhul = dust or ashes; vandan = the act of bowing down). Rural India celebrates Holi as Phag for a fortnight, during which harvests are planned, homes refurbished and weddings organised. In Northern, Western and Eastern India, people replay Raslila, the joyous dance of Krishna and the gopikas. Krishna is said to have sprinkled the gopikas with spring flowers. People do it now with colour.
Celebrated In:
In Bengal, Holi is known as Dol Purnima (dol = swing, purnima = full moon), after the swing on which Krishna and Radha sat. Orissa celebrates it as Dol Jatra. In Goa and the Konkan coast, it is called Shimga in celebration of youth and vitality. In Tamil Nadu, they call it Kaman Pandigai (festival of Kama), representing the fulfilment of desire. There is great rejoicing, and two people dressed as Kama and Rathi go around collecting money. Since Kama is the god of love, Bihar sees a spate of marriages in the weeks following Holi. Holi in Barsana (also known as Barsani, Brahmasanu or Brishbanpur) is famous for the unusual ritual of women chasing and beating men with sticks. Amavasya is significant for other reasons, too. People also conduct a poorna kriya on Amavasya, which is associated with the birth of twins, as a ceremony that brings wholeness to the twins. The Somavara Amavasya, the new moon which occurs on a Monday, is especially important, since Somavara, or Monday, is also the day of the moon. It is on this day that people observe the Somavara Amavasya vrata, or fast, for the longevity of their spouses. Shiva is worshipped through the Saamba Parameshwara Pooja, because the moon stopped waning when it came near Shiva, and so might the lives of those who meditate on him.
LORD KRISHNA
Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya
THIS IS THE birthday of Lord Krishna, the eighth Divine Incarnation. It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). This is one of the greatest of all Hindu festivals. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this day, which is broken at midnight.
Temples are decorated for the occasion. Kirtans are sung, bells are rung, the conch is blown, and Sanskrit hymns are recited in praise of Lord Krishna. At Mathura, the birthplace of Lord Krishna, special spiritual gatherings are organised at this time. Pilgrims from all over India attend these festive gatherings.
The Lord appeared when the moon entered the house of Vrishabha at the constellation of the star Rohini, on Wednesday, the 8th day of the second fortnight of the month of Sravana, which corresponds to the month of Bhadrapada Krishnapaksha according to the Barhaspatyamana, in the year of Visvavasu, 5,172 years ago (from 1945), which means 3227 B.C.
Though Lord Krishna appeared in a human body, He had a divine body not composed of the five elements. He did not take any birth here in the usual sense of the term. He did not die. He appeared and disappeared through His Yoga Maya as He has declared in the Gita. This is a secret, known only to His devotees, Yogis and sages.
His enchanting form with flute in hand is worshipped in myriads of homes in India. It is a form to which is poured out devotion and supreme love from the hearts of countless devotees not only in India but also in the West. Millions of spiritual seekers worship Him and repeat His Mantra, Om Namo Bhagavate Vasudevaya.
Lord Krishna was great in knowledge, great in emotion, great in action, all at once. The scriptures have not recorded any life more full, more intense, more sublime and grander than the life of Sri Krishna.
Krishna has played various roles during His stay in the world. He was Arjuna's charioteer. He was an excellent statesman. He was a master musician; he gave lessons even to Narada in the art of playing the veena. The music of His flute thrilled the hearts of the Gopis and everyone else. He was a cowherd in Brindavan and Gokul. He exhibited miraculous powers even as a child. He killed many demons. He revealed His Comic Form to His mother, Yasoda. He performed the Rasa Lila, the secret of which can only be understood by devotees like Narada, Gauranga, Radha and the Gopis. He taught the supreme Truth of Yoga, Bhakti and Vedanta to Arjuna and Uddhava. He had mastered every one of the sixty-four fine arts. For all these reasons He is regarded as a full and complete manifestation of God.
Diwali or Deepawali, literally 'an array of lamps', is the festival of lights and is celebrated on the darkest night of Kartik. It is perhaps the most important festival in India. Originally a Hindu festival, it has now crossed the bounds of religion and is celebrated by all in India with fervor and gaiety. This day is a public holiday all over India. Diwali is also perhaps the oldest festival still celebrated today and is mentioned in the Ramayana. The celebrations include the lighting of lamps and candles, and the bursting of crackers. Friends and neighbors exchange special sweets.
It marks the beginning of the New Year for a large majority of Hindus, especially the trader
community. Preparations for the festival begin many days prior to Diwali. It is time for a thorough cleaning of the house, for the belief is that Lakshmi will enter clean and nicely decorated houses.
The scientific reason is that the monsoon is a time for insects and fungus to breed. With the end of the monsoon, homes need to be cleaned and painted, and belongings aired and dried before
the onset of winter. The festival itself extends over about a week even though the most important day is the new moon day.
In east Bihar and northern India, two days before Diwali is celebrated as Dhanteras in honour of
Dhanvantari, the physician of the gods. He is believed to have emerged with a pot of amrita during the samudra manthan. People bathe early in the morning and observe a fast, which is broken only
after sunset with sweetmeats, puri and other delicacies. On Dhanteras, new kitchen utensils are bought and kept at the place of worship. The buying of utensils, according to one theory, relates
to the myth of Dhanvantari emerging from the ocean with a pot in his hand. Since he is also the physician of the god's cleanliness and hygiene are essential to this festival.
The day before Diwali is celebrated as Choti Diwali or 'small Diwali'. It is Diwali on a smaller
scale, with fewer lights lit and fewer crackers burst. The morning after Choti Diwali, the women of the house make beautiful, colored rangoli in the doorway and courtyard. Tiny footprints made
out of rice paste are a special feature of the rangolis made for Diwali. They signify the footprints of Lakshmi, as she enters the house. In Hindu homes, Diwali celebrations involve a
ritual puja to Lakshmi and also to Rama in the evening. Songs in honour of the god are sung and arati is performed. Oil or ghee diyas are also lit. The gods are offered kheel, batashe and khilone
and various sweetmeats. After the puja, the diyas are placed in and around the house: in the doorway, near the Tulasi plant, the backyard, every room and the back and front gates. After
this, crackers are burst, and people meet friends and neighbors to exchange good wishes and sweets.
Since Diwali falls on the new moon night, lamps are lit to brighten this moonless night According
to a myth, Lakshmi will not enter a dark house. The lamps also welcome home the spirits of dead ancestors, who are believed to visit on this auspicious night. In addition, the light frightens away
any evil spirit that might be wandering about near the house on this night. In Orissa, lamps are lit to light up the dark path that the spirits of ancestors take back to heaven. In modern times, ghee
diyas have been replaced by wax candles and colored electric bulbs.
The origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it was probably an important
harvesting season. It was thus extremely important to the largely pastoral Vaishya community. Their granaries were full, and the weather was good, at the end of the long monsoon and before
the arduous winter. It was therefore a good time to celebrate. The Vaishya community began their new year with this happy occasion, after paying their debts and clearing their ledgers. As the
religion developed, various mythological stories and explanations were attributed to this festival to give it religious sanction. However today, this historical explanation is all but lost among the
many stories and folklore linked with the origin of the festival.
According to the most popular one, Diwali is celebrated in honour of Rama, his consort Sita and brother Lakshmana, returning to their kingdom Ayodhya after a 14-year exile. To celebrate this event, people at Ayodhya are believed to have lit up their houses with lamps. The illuminations also symbolize the removal of spiritual darkness and the onset of happiness and prosperity. According to another belief, it is on this day that Lakshmi emerged from the ocean during the samudra manthan. Lakshmi Puja commemorates her birth and therefore forms a major part of Diwali celebrations. Being associated with the goddess of wealth and fortune, Diwali is specially important to the Vaishya community. Most tradesmen close their old ledgers and dealings and start afresh with new ledgers after Diwali.
Another reason for the celebration of Diwali is that it marks the killing of the evil Narkasura at the hands of Krishna. Naraka is believed to have abducted16,000 women. Krishna killed him and rescued these women whom he later married. Naraka is the personification of hell and is believed to be the monsoon during which all activities come to a stand still.Though Diwali is equally important in the south and the north, the celebrations are markedly different. In South India, the story widely associated with Diwali is that of Narasimha, the man-lion incarnation of Vishnu.
According to a legend, Hiranyakshipu was an evil demon king. He was unjust and cruel to his
people. However, he was almost invincible, having extracted a boon from Brahma that he would be killed neither by beast nor man, neither inside nor outside, neither during the day nor at night.
When his atrocities became unbearable, the gods sought Vishnu's help. Assuming his fifth incarnation of Narasimha, the man-lion, Vishnu killed Hiranyakshipu with his claws in the
courtyard just before daybreak, hence steering clear of the boundaries of the boon.
For this reason in the south, people light diyas in their houses on the day preceding Diwali. The
next day begins early. First is the ritual bath, which begins with an oil massage of the hair and body. The family then prays to Vishnu for its well-being and prosperity. After the prayers start
the main celebrations which, as in the north, consist of bursting crackers and lighting candles. At day break, all celebrations end .People then visit friends and relatives and exchange sweets.
References to the word 'atishbaji' or'crackers' are found even in ancient literature. The bursting of crackers is today the most important and eagerly-awaited part of the Diwali celebrations.
According to one belief, the sound that resounds throughout the universe makes all aware of the great homecoming of Rama. Another belief is that the crackers are an indication of the joy of the
people living on the earth, making the gods aware of their plentiful state. Still another possible reason has a more scientific basis: the fumes produced by the crackers kill a lot of insects, found
in plenty after the rains. The use of high-tech bomb crackers is fairly recent.
The second day after Diwali is celebrated as Bhai Duja when sisters apply tilak to their brothers and pray for their long and happy life. In all likelihood, this ritual was originally intended only for married women. Since they celebrated Diwali with their in-laws, this festival allowed them to come to their parent's home during this auspicious time. They got some time to meet the family and to rest after the hectic activity of the preceding week. And it gave their parents an opportunity to give them gifts, an opportunity they did not often get. Nowadays however, among many communities Bhai Duja is observed by both married and unmarried sisters.