Celebrating Holi in Ethnic Indian Clothes

Holi finds mentions in Jaimini's Purvamimamsa Sutras and Kathak Grhya Sutras as well as Narad Purana and Bhavishya Purana. It is believed that the great king of demons HiranyaKashyap had a boon of immortality. Prahlada, in spite of his father's denial, continued worshiping Vishnu and finally his father decided to kill him. Prahlada was given poison but that turned into nectar in his mouth. He was trampled by elephants but even that did not affect him. When all of Huranyakashyap's efforts to kill his son failed, he asked his sister Holika to put him on fire. She was blessed not to be affected by fire but when the fire started, she was burnt to death while Prahlada remained unaffected. This incidence is celebrated as Holika Dahan.

Along with that, color festivals are celebrated in the United States and some European countries with other names and occasions. A number of contemporary plays, movies, TV serials have mentions of hot holi pictures for different reasons.

Holi Celebrations

Every part of India celebrates Holi in its own way. These traditions vary from one state to other. Holi has a deep association with the childhood of Lord Krishna and that is the reason why there is so much charm of Holi in the Mathura and Vrindavan region. In the most traditional way, Holi is celebrated by Holika Dahan in the night and the game of colors in the morning. It is the most enjoyable tradition of Holi. Together, the rich and the poor, men and women enjoy throwing colors on each other. The atmosphere is filled with joy and fun.

In Maharashtra and Gujarat, pots of buttermilk are hung high in the streets. Break the pot with the head while the women throw buckets of water in an effort to stop them. This tradition comes from the tales of Lord Krishna who was quite fond of butter milk. Similarly, at place called Barsana, women beat their men and dress them in female attire on the day of Holi. In Bengal, it is celebrated in the most dignified way. Here, idols of Radha and Krishna are taken out in a procession. It is also celebrated as the spring festival here. Students decorate their campuses with decorative flowers and rangolis. In Punjab, it is celebrated as the display of physical strength and prowess while in Manipur, it is celebrated for six continuous days with dances and colors. What is important here is the spirit of Holi, that remains same throughout. It is the festival that brings people closer and this is what matters the most.

Holi Issues

There are certain issues that are related with this great festival. Environmental pollution and use of synthetic colors being the top most of them. There is a concern about water pollution due to synthetic colors during Holi along with the environmental issue related to the traditional Holika Dahan which leads to deforestation. Chemically produced industrial dyes have taken thd place of natural colors. There are plenty of toxic substances like lead oxide and copper sulphate which are widely being used for the making of these colors. Some social organizations like the Society for Child Development are running awareness programs on these issues.