Holi

Holi is regarded one of India's most cherished and famous holidays and is observed virtually everywhere. Sometimes it is also dubbed the "festival of love" when people get on this day to erase all resentment and all kind of evil feelings. A day and an evening, starting on the evened of Purnima and the Full Moon Day in Falgun month, will be the big event for Indians. The first evening of the holiday is celebrated under the name of Holika Dahan or Choti Holi. It is recognised with several names in various areas of the nation. The vitality of colours provides much positive in our life, and Holi being the colour festival is indeed a joyful day. Holi is a renowned Hindu holiday celebrated with extreme excitement and passion in every area of India. The ceremony begins one day before to Holiday with the illumination of the bonfeu and represents the triumph of good over evil. On Holiday, guests play with friends and family with colours, and in the evening with Abeer, they express love and respect for their close friends.

History

Holi came from India, but the colour festival is recognised all over the world because the luminous powder revellers throw each other to celebrate. This year, thousands of people are attending the Holi 2021 festivities, beginning on 28 March and celebrating the symbolic triumph of virtue over evil.

Significance

Holi is also known as the Festival of Colour, although it is also celebrated by people of different religions, and is one of the most important holidays in Hindu times.
A feast in Holi is held for two days and commemorates the triumph of good over evil. In the evening before Holi the people were called HolikaDahan or Chhoti Holi, when a light was being lit to indicate the devil Holika was being burnt.

Deity

Lord Vishnu, Krishna or Shiva.

Ritual (pooja, vrat etc.)

Holi is an old Hindu celebration and is known in several religious publications. Traditionally, spring and the end of the winter months are marked by the celebration. Holi is a day in Hindu traditions to finish and free ourselves from past mistakes, to stop conflicts by meeting others, to forget and forgive. In the Purana, Dasakumara Charita and the Poet Kalidasa during the reign of Chandragupta II of the 4th century are referred to the Holi Festival. HolikaDahan is also known as "Kamudu pyres" or "Holiqas" or asures; Holidays and beverages, such as gujia, mathri, malpuas, bhang, thandai and other regional delicacies, are prepared There are several rituals related with Holli.
Holi Day 1: HolikaDahan (Choti Holi)
Holi is celebrating the assassination of Holika, an asura, in Hinduism, in order to save Prahlad, Lord Vishnu's disciple. Days before the HolikaDahan, people in parks, communities, close to temples and other open areas are collecting wood and fuel for the bonfire. Above the pyre is an image which indicates Holika, an asura. On the eve of Holi the pyre is ignited, which means HolikaDahan, generally at or after the sunset. This ceremony represents Good's victory over evil. People come to sing and dance around the fire.
Holi Day 2: Holi/Dhulandi/Rangwali Holi
Holika fun and festivities begin the morning after Holika bonfire. Holi is an occasion and lighthearted cultural celebration to jest friends or strangers with colourful water. Forth Holiday, the colourful powder solutions (gulals) are sprayed from each other, water cannons (pichkaris), water balloons full withcolourful water and so on. People thunder on each other's faces with dry coloured powder (abir), laugh and rejoice. In a fun aroma, the visitors are first provided with Holi delicious dishes like pureanpolis, dahi-bada and gourds, sweets and drinks and then dressed in colours and water.Holi celebrations include singing and dancing, as well as drumming and dholak playing. People bathe, put on clean clothing, then visit friends and family after playing with colours and cleaning up. Washable natural plant-derived colours like turmeric, neem, dhak, and kumkum were once popular, but commercial water-based pigments are now becoming more popular.

Celebrations

Holi Day 1: HolikaDahan (Choti Holi)
Holi Day 2: Holi/Dhulandi/Rangwali Holi
Holi has a connection with Radha-Krishna too
The Holi celebration is also known as a festival of love. According to one Holi tradition about Lord Krishna, the Holi celebration honours Radha's heavenly love for Krishna. Lord Krishna used to worry that because of his dark skin, the fair-skinned Radha would reject him. Yashoda, his mother, instructed him to approach Radha and request that she colour his face in any colour she desired. Radha and Krishna became a relationship as a result of her actions. Holi has been celebrated ever since the fun colouring of Radha and Krishna's faces. Holi celebrations in India's Braj area stretch for more than a week.

Lathmar Holi - Braj ki Holi

The Lathmar Holi festivities take place at the Radha Rani temple in Barsana, the hometown of Goddess Radha. Lathmar Holi is celebrates days before the actual Holi in the neighbouring towns of Barsana (Goddess Radha's hometown) and Nandgaon (Lord Krishna's hometown) near Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh. As per a Hindu legend, Nandagon-based Lord Krishna visited Barsana, the town of his love-interest Radha. Krishna teased Radha and her friends, who was offended by his advances and drove him out of Barsana. As such, Nandagon men visit Barsana every year and are greeted by women hurling sticks (lathi) at them. The men try to protect themselves but those who fail are captured by these women who then dress them in female apparel and make them dance in public. This event is one of the main highlights of the town. Thousands of Hindus and tourists congregate, each year, to witness this event.
Holi in Mathura and Vrindavan
Lord Krishna was born in the city of Mathura, and he spent his boyhood in the city of Vrindavan. One of the most well-known Holi destinations is Vrindavan's Banke-Bihari Temple. Holi is celebrated for a week at the temple. The idol of Bihariji (Lord Krishna's other name) is clothed in white garments and moved closer to his worshippers to play Holi during these days. Holi is celebrated in Vrindavan using gulal (dried colour) and coloured water. Music (bhajans) plays in the background, and people dance to the beats while taking in the sights. Aside from Banke Bihari Temple, numerous other Krishna temples in Mathura and Vrindavan hold week-long festivals.

How to celebrate (including dishes etc.)

The Holi holiday is about more than just colours; it's also about unique Holi dishes. Take a look at some of the most well-known Holi treats and beverages. Gujiyas - Holi wouldn't be Holi without Gujiyas. It's a delicious dumpling made of maida or wheat and filled with khoya, coconut, and dried fruits. Malpuas is an Indian delicacy that is cooked in ghee and then dipped in sugar syrup. Bhaang - Bhaang is an auspicious drink in Hinduism, said to have been drunk by Lord Shiva. During Holi celebrations, bhaang beverages and pakoras are quite popular. Thandai - A fennel-fragrant mixture with a natural cooling effect, Thandai is another famous Holi staple.

Celebration in different regions/countries including Regional Variance

India
·         Assam
·         Bihar/Jharkhand
·         Goa
·         Gujarat
·         Jammu and Kashmir
·         Karnataka
·         Maharashtra
·         Manipur
·         Odisha
·         Punjab
·         Telangana
·         Uttar Pradesh
·         Tripura
·         Tamil Nadu
Nepal
Pakistan
Indian diaspora
Suriname
Trinidad and Tobago
Guyana
Fiji
Mauritius
United States
Indonesia
Gifts- Colours
Clothes
Water gun for children
Best places to experience/ Mela- India
Issues/ Safety Information
Don’t use harmfullcolours

Date & Time

Purnima tithibegining time: 3.27 AM on March 28, 2021
Purnima tithi end time: 12.17 AM on March 29, 2021
Muhurat for HolikaDahan on March 28, 2021: 6:54 PM to 9:14 PM