May the colours of happiness be sprinkled over all. May the evil be burnt and goodness, happiness blossom.
This year the festival of colours is celebrated on 24th march.
Given below is the description/explanation from wikipedia.
There is a symbolic legend to explain why Holi is celebrated as a festival of colours. The word "Holi" originates from "Holika", the evil sister of the demon kingHiranyakashipu. The festival itself is believed to have origins from the Prahlada-Puri Temple[SUP][17][/SUP] of Multan in the Punjab region.[SUP][18][/SUP] The original temple of Prahladpuri is said to have been built by Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu's son.[SUP][19][/SUP]
King Hiranyakashipu,[SUP][20][/SUP] according to legend, was the King of Multan[SUP][21][/SUP] and had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible. He grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada,[SUP][22][/SUP] however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Lord Vishnu.[SUP][15][/SUP] This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika - Prahlada's evil aunt - tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her.[SUP][1][/SUP] Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada.[SUP][15][/SUP] Holika burned, Prahlada survived. Seeing this, Hiranyakashipu, unable to control his anger, smashed a pillar with his mace. There was a tumultuous sound, and Lord Vishnu appeared as Lord Narasimha and killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika.[SUP][16][/SUP] The next day when the fire cooled down, people applied ash to their foreheads,[SUP][23][/SUP] a practice still observed by some people.[SUP][24][/SUP] Eventually, coloured powder came to be used to celebrate Holi.
In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deity Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love.[SUP][25][/SUP] There is a symbolic myth behind commemorating Krishna as well. As a baby, Krishna developed his characteristic dark blue skin colour because the she-demon Putana poisoned him with her breast milk.[SUP][26][/SUP] In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha and other girls would like him because of his skin colour. His mother, tired of the desperation, asks him to approach Radha and colour her face in any colour he wanted. This he does, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha's face has been commemorated as Holi.[SUP][27][/SUP][SUP][28][/SUP] Beyond India, these legends to explain the significance of Holi (Phagwah) are common in some Caribbean and South American communities of Indian origin such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.[SUP][29][/SUP][SUP][30][/SUP] It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius.[SUP][31][/SUP]
The Holi festival has further cultural significance. It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past errors, to end conflicts by meeting others, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as well as deal anew with those in their lives. Holi also marks the start of spring, and for many the start of the new year
This year the festival of colours is celebrated on 24th march.
Given below is the description/explanation from wikipedia.
There is a symbolic legend to explain why Holi is celebrated as a festival of colours. The word "Holi" originates from "Holika", the evil sister of the demon kingHiranyakashipu. The festival itself is believed to have origins from the Prahlada-Puri Temple[SUP][17][/SUP] of Multan in the Punjab region.[SUP][18][/SUP] The original temple of Prahladpuri is said to have been built by Prahlada, Hiranyakashipu's son.[SUP][19][/SUP]
King Hiranyakashipu,[SUP][20][/SUP] according to legend, was the King of Multan[SUP][21][/SUP] and had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible. He grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him.[SUP][1][/SUP]
Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada,[SUP][22][/SUP] however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Lord Vishnu.[SUP][15][/SUP] This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika - Prahlada's evil aunt - tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her.[SUP][1][/SUP] Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada.[SUP][15][/SUP] Holika burned, Prahlada survived. Seeing this, Hiranyakashipu, unable to control his anger, smashed a pillar with his mace. There was a tumultuous sound, and Lord Vishnu appeared as Lord Narasimha and killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika.[SUP][16][/SUP] The next day when the fire cooled down, people applied ash to their foreheads,[SUP][23][/SUP] a practice still observed by some people.[SUP][24][/SUP] Eventually, coloured powder came to be used to celebrate Holi.
In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deity Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love.[SUP][25][/SUP] There is a symbolic myth behind commemorating Krishna as well. As a baby, Krishna developed his characteristic dark blue skin colour because the she-demon Putana poisoned him with her breast milk.[SUP][26][/SUP] In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha and other girls would like him because of his skin colour. His mother, tired of the desperation, asks him to approach Radha and colour her face in any colour he wanted. This he does, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha's face has been commemorated as Holi.[SUP][27][/SUP][SUP][28][/SUP] Beyond India, these legends to explain the significance of Holi (Phagwah) are common in some Caribbean and South American communities of Indian origin such as Guyana and Trinidad and Tobago.[SUP][29][/SUP][SUP][30][/SUP] It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius.[SUP][31][/SUP]
The Holi festival has further cultural significance. It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past errors, to end conflicts by meeting others, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as well as deal anew with those in their lives. Holi also marks the start of spring, and for many the start of the new year
