Myths and Origins of Holi

Evening of Bonfires

The mythological origins of this festival vary in different parts of India. The celebration of Holi is very ancient in origin. It celebrates the ultimate triumph of "good" over "evil". While a feast of colours is associated with Holi the original reason for celebrating Holi lies in the soul of the festival. Literally "Holi" is the Hindi word meaning "burning" in the Hindi language. How it became associated with "burning" is a myth. The reference is found in ancient Indian Mythology. The celebration of Holi is associated with the King, Hiranyakashipu. In the pre-Christian era, there lived a evil king named Hiranyakashipu in ancient India. He wanted to avenge the death of his brother who was killed by Lord Vishnu , one of the supreme trio, who preserves life and death in the Universe. unhappy with the death of his brother, he performed severe penance and prayer for many years and was granted a boon. Powered by the boon, Hiranyakashipu thought he had become invincible. Filled with arrogance he ordered all in his kingdom to worship him instead of God.The King however had a young son, named Prahalad. He was an ardent devotee of God and despite his father's orders he continued to pray to God. So the evil King wanted to get rid of his son. He tried many methods to get rid of his son but Prahalad always escaped unscathed. The king asked a favor of his sister Holika who was granted a boon which made her immune to fire, she would sit in the fire with Prahalad on her lap. A pyre was built and Holika sat with Prahald in her lap. At the end Prahalad emerged and Holika was burned to ashes. The complete submission to God saved young Prahalad. Thus Prahalad, the representative of good triumphed while Holika the symbol of evil was defeated. It is from Holika that Holi originated. This legend is relived today, on the Holi-eve the pyre is re-lit in the form of bonfires. Huge bonfires are lit up every year on the eve of the full moon night to symbolise the burning of Holika and to celebrate "good" over "evil".

This exuberant festival is linked to yet another legend and is associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha. This origin is later. According to Hindu belief, Krishna was an incarnation of God himself. It was Krishna, the king of the ancient city of Dwarka who popularised the tradition of Holi. The origin of the colorful and frolicking tone of Holi lies in the boyhood of Krishna. Krishna used to play pranks with his mates where he grew up in North India. During the spring, Krishna would play pranks by drenching the village girls, the Gopis. At first, it offended the girls but they were so fond of Krishna that soon their anger melted away. It did not take long for the other boys to join in, making it a popular sport in the village. As Krishna grew up, the play assumed a new dimension.The legend of Krishna's courtship with Radha, and playing pranks with the Gopis. This tradition has transpired through the ages, turning it into a community festival. During the passage of time the culture spread roots to other regions of India. The Holi play of Krishna and Radha with Gopis is well documented in hundreds of ancient paintings, murals and scriptures.

As years rolled by this age-old festival of Holi acquired a new significance. Besides being a spring festival it also became the harvest festival. The winter crop of Rabi gets ripe and the corns of wheat become golden. So Holi means to the farmers joyful celebration of new harvest and bubbling with joy and excitement at the prospect of prosperity they offer their first crop to Agnidev - the god of Fire who for centuries has been looked upon with love and esteem by the Aryans. Only after this offering of first harvest to Agnidev, the farmers use the crop for their personal consumption.

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