by Suramya Singh (Student Life Assistant)

As the spring approaches, so does the vibrant two-day festival of colours. It signifies the beginning of the season of blooming flowers, marking an end to the winters and is considered as a key time for transformation and growth. A festivity that dissolves boundaries and paints the world in joy.

Deeply rooted in a diverse tapestry of the Indian tradition, Holi commemorates the legendary mythological tales of Prahlada and Holika. The story reflects the triumph of faith and goodness over the arrogant and evil. On the eve of holi, people gather around a bonfire in a ritual known as Holika Dahan (also called “little holi”) which takes place on the evening of a full moon. This ritual symbolising burning away of the negativity and celebrating the victories of the righteous.

 The date tends to change each year based on the Hindu Calendar. 

The day after Holika Dahan is Rangwali Holi, main holi event, which is marked by colours, flowers and sweets across the various parts of the country. It is an interplay of vibrant colours, playing with powdery or liquid colours by playfully throwing them on each other and gently applying them to each other’s face and body, wherever they feel comfortable. People take part in this by wearing white or old clothes depending on their own personal preferences. Some may want an assortment of colours to show, where others might want to follow a more sustainable way of celebration. This usually takes part in the morning or the early afternoon of the day. No Holi is complete without Thandai- a cold drink made of rose petals, fennel seeds and almonds with a few more dramatic ingredients and the traditional sweet like Ghujia: a deep fried sweet treat filled with nuts, grated coconut and khoya (milk solids).

It is strongly associated to the playful love of Krishna and Radha (revered as the personification of divine love). Krishna’s playful application of colours to Radha became a tradition that is still seen so widely today. Anyone and everyone can be a part of this celebration no matter what age, gender, and ethical background. Some families follow the religious way of ceremonies, while for the others it is another excuse for fun, feasting and dancing and meeting their friends and family. It is a powerful symbol of renewal, unity, joy. The Indian subcontinent witnesses the mother nature taking a part in colouring the ground with colourful trees like the red-flowered semal (cotton tree) and the flowers of Palash (Butea monosperma) which were used in the olden eras for the orange and the yellow dyes.