About Holi

                  Duwadashi or the twelfth day of the waxing moon in Phalgun marks the beginning of the festive season of Holi. People start preparing for the festive season with high spirits and mothers stitch new dresses for their daughters who are married following an age-old custom. Gulals and powders of various colors are bought. Pichkaris or long syringes and water balloons are filled with these colors.

‘Rang Pashi’ marks the advent of Holi into the houses, three days prior to the full moon. In the evenings, families gather around to carry out the formal occasion of sprinkling colors. Colored powders and colored water in a “lota” are arranged on a thali. Beforehand the “kul purohit” initiated the celebrations of Holi. The eldest male member of the family now-a-days performs this duty by sprinkling colored powders and water on every member of the family. The younger members perform the same in turn. Love and blessings are thus shared by all family members. The festivities for the day end with the intake of special food items- gujjia, kanji ke vade, papri and kofta curry. Drinks before meal is a must.

Holika is being burnt on the next day called “Puno”. It is burnt following the legendary story of Prahlad and his reverence to Lord Vishnu. Large bonfires are made all over the place and people gather around the fire to enjoy singing and dancing. Roasted bundles of wheat and green gram are eaten.

On the third day called “Parva”, families and friends along with children gather on the roads and colored powders are spread all over the place. Faces and the bodies of the people get smeared with gulal and colored powders. Colored water filled pichkaris are spouted onto the people. Water balloons are thrown at friends and neighbors and mud baths are prepared expressing the spirit of fun. Feet of the elders are touched with gulal to pay them respect. Drum beatings and Holi songs are heard everywhere. The festival of colors is free of any worship. The faces and feet of the gods, especially of Krishna and Radha are smeared with gulal at the starting of the festivities.
Some old-fashioned customs are attached to Holi. Sons-in-law are invited for compulsory meals after which “pyala”, ranging from rupees five to five hundred and a glass of drink are presented. Mothers-in-law gift “kothli” to their daughters-in-law. An interesting custom is to some how lock the parents-in-law in a room by a new bride who releases them only after receiving a gift.

Holi, celebrated all over the country with passion and fervor, is the time to spread love, joy and brightness among all. Phalgun in Spring marks the advent of warmth in new life as Spring is the time to revitalize and Holi brings colors into everybody’s life. During holi, people wear new traditional clothes. “Dandia” is a white cotton saree gifted to married women by their mothers. Mothers also gift new clothes to their children. Men and women love to dress themselves in white during Holi, to display the bright contrasting colors.