The Festival Of Holi In India
Holi is known as the festival of colours. It falls in the month of Fagun - between February and March. It's origin lies in the ancient myth. Price Prahlad worshipped Lord Vishnu, His father, King Hiranakashyap disliked Prahlad's this act. Despite his repeated warnings Prahlad continued worshipping Lord Vishnu. He wanted to kill his son. He tried to kill him by throwing from a high mountain. Next he tied him to a hot pillar but Prahlad in her lap. She was blessed with a boon that fire would not burn her. Holika was burnt while Prahlad escaped unharmed. Thus the festival Holi is celebrated in the honor of Prahlad's escape. Since then it has been celebrated with great pomp and show.
This festival falls in the beginning of the harvest season. New corn is roasted in the fire and distributed as Prasad among friends and relatives. A night before this festival, a big bonfire is lit. Women offer sweets and offer prayer material to the fire. People then pray for a healthy and trouble free year. On the day of Holi, people smear ashes of this fire on their forehead as a mark of respect to the fire and then go from house to house smearing colour on each other. Children especially enjoy this festival. They play pranks and pour coloured water on one another.
Women prepare Goonjias, a sweet made of refiened flour and sugar, and other salty delicacies. They offer these delicacies to the guests who come to great them. There is also a ritual to mix Bhang, a type of intoxicating plant paste, in sweet drinks. Drinking it the people become marry. There is a lot of dancing and singing.
The darker side of this colourful festival is that many people under the guise of playing pranks misbehave with women. Children also throw water balloons at the passers-by and the vehicles on the roads. This has resulted in many accidents every year. People also use chemicals, paints and muddy slush on each other, which causes skin and eye diseases. Sometimes permanent loss of vision has also been observed. Use of water filled balloons has been banned.
It is true that Holi through started as a festival of joy has over the years become a festival that most people don't look forward to. So let us pledge that when we play Holi the next year we will avoid all the dirty practices that are associated with it.
This festival falls in the beginning of the harvest season. New corn is roasted in the fire and distributed as Prasad among friends and relatives. A night before this festival, a big bonfire is lit. Women offer sweets and offer prayer material to the fire. People then pray for a healthy and trouble free year. On the day of Holi, people smear ashes of this fire on their forehead as a mark of respect to the fire and then go from house to house smearing colour on each other. Children especially enjoy this festival. They play pranks and pour coloured water on one another.
Women prepare Goonjias, a sweet made of refiened flour and sugar, and other salty delicacies. They offer these delicacies to the guests who come to great them. There is also a ritual to mix Bhang, a type of intoxicating plant paste, in sweet drinks. Drinking it the people become marry. There is a lot of dancing and singing.
The darker side of this colourful festival is that many people under the guise of playing pranks misbehave with women. Children also throw water balloons at the passers-by and the vehicles on the roads. This has resulted in many accidents every year. People also use chemicals, paints and muddy slush on each other, which causes skin and eye diseases. Sometimes permanent loss of vision has also been observed. Use of water filled balloons has been banned.
It is true that Holi through started as a festival of joy has over the years become a festival that most people don't look forward to. So let us pledge that when we play Holi the next year we will avoid all the dirty practices that are associated with it.
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