HOLI

Gay,boisterious and colorful.

              Holi is celebrated on the FULL MOON DAY in the month of PHALGUNA(February- March) and welcomes VASANTH RUTHU(Spring season). When flowers of various colors are in full bloom.

              According to legend, the demon king Hirnya Kashyaphated his son PRAHLAD, who was a devotee of LORD VISHNU. When HIRANYA KASHYAP failed in his attempts to kill his son, he asked his sister HOLIKA who could be burnt by fire to sit with PRAHALAD on a burning pyre.But PRAHALAD emerged safe when HOLIKA was burnt to death. To Symbolize the burning of the evil HOLIKA, a huge bonfire is lit, the day before HOLI.

               Another version attributes Holi as a festival of LORD KRISHNA who used to play pranks with the gopis(milk maids) by showering them with flowers from trees like Kesariya and Tesu( Flame of the Forest). That is how the ritual of playing with color originated and to this date, people throw colored water and GULAALon each other.Eating mithai(sweets), drinking thandai, frolicking and dancing is part and parcel of this colorful festival also known as Rangpanchmiin certain parts of the country.

               Til Ladoos(a kind of sweets),gujjias,Puranpolis,Sanjoris,Papri and Kanji ke Bade are the special eatables for Holi.