Thinking of Holi we think of colors. The festival signifies colors and
we recognize it as a celebration of colors. But if we go back to its
origin we will see that the celebration of Holi is very ancient in its
origin. And its very origin, tells us that it celebrates victory of the
'good' over the 'evil'. While, a feast of colors associated with the
Holi, is the face of this celebration, the original reason of
celebrating Holi, lies in its soul. The word Holi signifies burning in
Indian language but how the word burning is associated with the festival
of Holi. For that we have to refer the legends. And according to one
popular legend, the bonfires recall the story of Holika, the sister of
the demon king Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu failed to make his son
Prahlad renounce his devotion to Lord Narayana, an incarnation of
Vishnu, so he asked Holika to carry Prahlad into a blazing fire with
her. Holika had a boon to remain unscathed by fire, so she followed her
brother's wishes. However, with this sinful act against Lord Narayana's
devotee, Holika's boon ended and she was burnt to ashes, while Prahlad
came out safe. From that day onwards Holi is celebrated as the festival
of the victory of good over evil.
The legend of Hollika and Prahlad tells us about the origin of Holi but
how the celebration of Holi turned into a colorful festival for that we
have to refer the legends of Lord Krishna. According to Hindu belief,
lord Krishna was the reincarnation of Lord Vishnu himself. It was
Krishna, the king of the ancient city of Dwarka, who was believed to
popularized the tradition of Holi. The origin of the colorful and
frolicking tone of Holi is associated with the boyhood of Lord Krishna.
Though with the passage of time there has been changes in the way Holi
is celebrated earlier and it is celebrated now. But one aspect of it,
which has not changed over the ages, is its community flavor. The same
tradition has transpired through the ages, turning it into a community
festival of the masses. And as time passed by the culture and traditions
associated with the festival spread its roots to other parts of the
country making it a celebration of the true colors of life, which brings
joy and happiness to our life.
