Индийский праздник цветов

«Basanta Utsav» and «Holli» redirect here. For the film, see Basanta Utsav (film). For the ice hockey player, see Antti Hölli.

Holi
Krishna playing Holi with Radha and other gopis
Observed by	Hindus,[1] Sikhs, Jains,[2][3] and others[4]
Type	Religious, cultural, spring festival
Celebrations	Night after ((Holika Dahan)), Kama Dahan On Holi: spraying coloured dye, playing with coloured powder, dancing, greetings, festival delicacies[5]
Date	māsa (amānta) / māsa (purnimānta), pakṣa, tithi
2022 date	17-18 March in India[6][7] 17-18 March in Nepal[8]
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Hola Mohalla

Explanatory note

Hindu festival dates The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta. Iff a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar.

v t e

Holi () is an ancient Hindu tradition and also one of the most popular festivals in Hinduism.^[1][9] It celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna.^[10][11]
The day also signifies the triumph of good over evil,^[12][13] as it commemorates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha Narayana over Hiranyakashipu.^[14][15] It originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]}

Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love and for many, it is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.^[17][22] The festival is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season.^[17][22] It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon Day) falling in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as «Holika Dahan» or «Chhoti Holi» and the following day as «Holi», «Rangwali Holi», «Dol Purnima», «Dhuleti», «Dhulandi»,^[23] «Ukuli», «Manjal Kuli»,^[24] «Yaosang», «Shigmo»,^[25] «Phagwah»,^[26] or «Jajiri».^[27]

Holi celebrations are also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love.^[1][16][28] Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of a bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) where people smear and drench each other with colours. Water guns and water-filled balloons are often used to play and colour each other, with anyone and anyplace being considered fair game to color. Groups often carry drums and other musical instruments going from place to place singing and dancing. Throughout the day people visit family, and friends and foes come together to chat, enjoy food and drink, and partake in Holi delicacies.^[29][30]

Cultural significance[edit]

The Holi festival has a cultural significance among various Hindu traditions of the Indian subcontinent. 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, an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends.^[22][31]

Radha Krishna[edit]

In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love.^[10][32] Garga Samhita, a puranic work by Sage Garga was the first literature to mention the romantic description of Radha and Krishna playing Holi.^[33] There is also a popular symbolic legend behind the festival. In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha would like him because of his dark skin colour. His mother Yashoda, tired of his desperation, asks him to approach Radha and ask her to colour his face in any colour she wanted. This Radha did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha and Krishna’s face has been commemorated as Holi.^[11][34] Beyond India, these legends help 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.^[35][36] It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius.^[37]

Vishnu[edit]

There is a symbolic legend to explain why Holi is celebrated as a festival of triumph of good over evil in the honour of Hindu god Vishnu and his devotee Prahlada. King Hiranyakashipu father of Prahlada, according to a legend found in chapter 7 of Bhagavata Purana,^[14][15] was the king of demonic Asuras, and had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him.^[5]
Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlada, however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Vishnu.^[29] 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.^[5] 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,^[29] who survived while Holika burned. Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).^[38]

The Holika bonfire and Holi signifies the celebration of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika.^[22]

Kama and Rati[edit]

Among other Hindu traditions such as Shaivism and Shaktism, the legendary significance of Holi is linked to Shiva in yoga and deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring back Shiva into the world, seeks help from the Hindu god of love called Kamadeva on Vasant Panchami. The love god shoots arrows at Shiva, the yogi opens his third eye and burns Kama to ashes. This upsets both Kama’s wife Rati (Kamadevi) and his own wife Parvati. Rati performs her own meditative asceticism for forty days, upon which Shiva understands, forgives out of compassion and restores the god of love. This return of the god of love, is celebrated on the 40th day after Vasant Panchami festival as Holi.^[39][40] The Kama legend and its significance to Holi has many variant forms, particularly in South India.^[41]

Other Indian religions[edit]

The festival has traditionally been also observed by non-Hindus, such as by Jains^[2] (Nepal).^[3]

In Mughal India, Holi was celebrated with such exuberance that people of all castes could throw colour on the Emperor.^[42] According to Sharma (2017), «there are several paintings of Mughal emperors celebrating Holi».^[43] Grand celebrations of Holi were held at the Lal Qila, where the festival was also known as Eid-e-gulaabi or Aab-e-Pashi.^[42] Mehfils were held throughout the walled city of Delhi with aristocrats and traders alike participating.^[42] This changed during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb. He banned the public celebration of Holi using a Farman issue in November 1665.^[44] However, the celebration were later restarted after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb. Bahadur Shah Zafar himself wrote a song for the festival, while poets such as Amir Khusrau, Ibrahim Raskhan, Nazeer Akbarabadi and Mehjoor Lakhnavi relished it in their writings.^[42]

Sikhs have traditionally celebrated the festival, at least through the 19th century,^[45] with its historic texts referring to it as Hola.^[46] Guru Gobind Singh – the last human guru of the Sikhs – modified Holi with a three-day Hola Mohalla extension festival of martial arts. The extension started the day after the Holi festival in Anandpur Sahib, where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises.^[47][48][49]

Holi was observed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Sikh Empire that extended across what are now northern parts of India and Pakistan. According to a report by Tribune India, Sikh court records state that 300 mounds of colours were used in 1837 by Ranjit Singh and his officials in Lahore. Ranjit Singh would celebrate Holi with others in the Bilawal gardens, where decorative tents were set up. In 1837, Sir Henry Fane who was the commander-in-chief of the British Indian army joined the Holi celebrations organised by Ranjit Singh. A mural in the Lahore Fort was sponsored by Ranjit Singh and it showed the Hindu god Krishna playing Holi with gopis. After the death of Ranjit Singh, his Sikh sons and others continued to play Holi every year with colours and lavish festivities. The colonial British officials joined these celebrations.^[50]

Description[edit]

Holi is a sacred ancient tradition of Hindus, a national holiday in India and Nepal with regional holidays in other countries. To many Hindus and some non-Hindus, it is a playful cultural event and an excuse to throw coloured water at friends or strangers in jest. It is also observed broadly in the Indian subcontinent. Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month marking the spring, making the date vary with the lunar cycle.^{[note 1]} The date falls typically in March, but sometimes late February of the Gregorian calendar.^[53][54]

The festival has many purposes; most prominently, it celebrates the beginning of Spring. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests and the fertile land.^[17] Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts and rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from the past.^[22][31]

It also has a religious purpose, symbolically signified by the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi People gather near fires, sing and dance. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated.^[55]

In Northern parts of India, Children and youth spray coloured powder solutions (gulal) at each other, laugh and celebrate, while adults smear dry coloured powder (abir) on each other’s faces.^[5][31] Visitors to homes are first teased with colours, then served with Holi delicacies (such as puranpoli, dahi-bada and gujia), desserts and drinks.^[30][56][57] After playing with colours, and cleaning up, people bathe, put on clean clothes, and visit friends and family.^[22]

Like Holika Dahan, Kama Dahanam is celebrated in some parts of India. The festival of colours in these parts is called Rangapanchami, and occurs on the fifth day after Poornima (full moon).^[58]

History and rituals[edit]

The Holi festival is an ancient Hindu festival with its cultural rituals. It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II.^[16] The celebration of Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit drama Ratnavali.^[59] The festival of Holi caught the fascination of European traders and British colonial staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions published after 1910.^[17]

There are several cultural rituals associated with Holi:^[60]

Holika Dahan[edit]

Preparation[edit]

Days before the festival, people start gathering wood and combustible materials for the bonfire in parks, community centers, near temples and other open spaces. On top of the pyre is an effigy to signify Holika who tricked Prahalad into the fire. Inside homes, people stock up on pigments, food, party drinks and festive seasonal foods such as gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other regional delicacies.

Bonfire[edit]

On the eve of Holi, typically at or after sunset, the pyre is lit, signifying Holika Dahan. The ritual symbolises the victory of good over evil. People gather around the fire to sing and dance.^[22]

Playing with colours[edit]

In North and Western India, Holi frolic and celebrations begin the morning after the Holika bonfire. Children and young people form groups armed with dry colours, coloured solution and water guns (pichkaris), water balloons filled with coloured water, and other creative means to colour their targets.^[60]

Traditionally, washable natural plant-derived colours such as turmeric, neem, dhak, and kumkum were used, but water-based commercial pigments are increasingly used nowadays. All colours are used. Everyone in open areas such as, streets and parks is game, but inside homes or at doorways only dry powder is used to smear each other’s face. People throw colours and get their targets completely coloured up. It is like a water fight, but with coloured water. People take delight in spraying coloured water on each other. By late morning, everyone looks like a canvas of colours. This is why Holi is given the name «Festival of Colours».

Groups sing and dance, some playing drums and dholak. After each stop of fun and play with colours, people offer gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional delicacies.^[61] Cold drinks, including drinks made with marijuana,^[62] are also part of the Holi festivity.

Other variations[edit]

In the Braj region around Mathura, in north India, the festivities may last more than a week. The rituals go beyond playing with colours, and include a day where men go around with shields and women have the right to playfully beat them on their shields with sticks.^[63] It is known as Latthmaar Holi, traditionally celebrated in the Barsana village. Barsana is the village of Radha and women assume the role of gopikas (Radha’s friends) and men as gopas (Krishna’s friends).

In southern India, some worship and make offerings to Kamadeva, the god of love in Indian mythology.

Later in the day[edit]

After a day of play with colours, people clean up, wash and bathe, sober up and dress up in the evening and greet friends and relatives by visiting them and exchanging sweets. Holi is also a festival of forgiveness and new starts, which ritually aims to generate harmony in society.^[60] Many cities in Uttar Pradesh also organise Kavi Sammelan in the evening.

Regional names, rituals and celebrations[edit]

Holi (Hindi: होली, Kannada: ಹೋಳಿ, Marathi: होळी, Nepali: होली, Punjabi: ਹੋਲੀ, Telugu: హోళి) is also known as Basanto Utsav (Bengali: বসন্ত উত্সব) («Spring festival») in West Bengal and Assam; Festival of Colours, or Dol Jatra (Assamese: দ’ল যাত্ৰা) in Assam, Phagu Purnima (Nepali: फागु पूर्णिमा) in hilly region of Nepal, Dola jātra (Odia: ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା) in Odisha; also known as Phakuwa or Phagwah (Assamese: ফাকুৱা). The customs and celebrations vary between regions of India.

Holi is of particular significance in the Braj region, which includes locations traditionally associated with the Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh, and Barsana, which become touristic during the season of Holi.^[32]

Outside India and Nepal, Holi is observed by Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan as well in countries with large Indian subcontinent diaspora populations such as Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Mauritius, and Fiji. The Holi rituals and customs outside South Asia also vary with local adaptations.

Celebrations[edit]

India[edit]

Bihar/Jharkhand[edit]

Holi is known as Phaguwa in the local Bhojpuri dialect. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dried cow dung cakes, wood of the Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves in the bonfire. At the time of Holika people assemble near the pyre. The eldest member of the gathering or a purohit initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. Traditionally, people also clean their houses to mark the festival.^[64]

Holi Milan is also observed in Bihar, where family members and well-wishers visit each other’s family, apply colours (abeer) on each other’s faces, and on feet, if elderly. Usually, this takes place on the evening of Holi, day after Holi with wet colours is played in the morning through the afternoon. Due to large-scale internal migration issues faced by the people, recently, this tradition has slowly begun to transform, and it is common to have Holi Milan on an entirely different day either before or after the actual day of Holi.^[65]

Children and youths take extreme delight in the festival. Though the festival is usually celebrated with colours, in some places, people also enjoy celebrating Holi with water solutions of mud or clay. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of the dholak (a two-headed hand-drum) and the spirit of Holi. Intoxicating bhang, made from cannabis, milk and spices, is consumed with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, such as pakoras and thandai, to enhance the mood of the festival.^[66]

Goa[edit]

Holi is locally called Ukkuli in Konkani. It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called Gosripuram temple. It is a part of the Goan or Konkani spring festival known as Śigmo or शिगमो in Koṅkaṇī or Śiśirotsava, which lasts for about a month. The colour festival or Holi is a part of longer, more extensive spring festival celebrations.^[67] Holi festivities (but not Śigmo festivities) include: Holika Puja and Dahan, Dhulvad or Dhuli vandan, Haldune or offering yellow and saffron colour or Gulal to the deity.

Gujarat[edit]

In Gujarat, Holi is a two-day festival. On the evening of the first day people light the bonfire. People offer raw coconut and corn to the fire. The second day is the festival of colour or «Dhuleti», celebrated by sprinkling coloured water and applying colours to each other. Dwarka, a coastal city of Gujarat, celebrates Holi at the Dwarkadheesh temple and with citywide comedy and music festivities.^[68] Falling in the Hindu month of Phalguna, Holi marks the agricultural season of the rabi crop.

In some places, there is a custom in undivided Hindu families that the woman beats her brother-in-law with a sari rolled up into a rope in a mock rage and tries to drench him with colours, and in turn, the brother-in-law brings sweets (Indian desserts) to her in the evening.^[69]

Jammu and Kashmir[edit]

In Jammu and Kashmir, Holi celebrations are much in line with the general definition of Holi celebrations: a high-spirited festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop, with the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing.^[70]

Karnataka[edit]

Traditionally, in rural Karnataka, children collect money and wood in the weeks prior to Holi, and on «Kamadahana» night, all the wood is put together and lit. The festival is celebrated for two days. People in northern parts of Karnataka prepare special food on this day.

In Sirsi, Karnataka, Holi is celebrated with a unique folk dance called «Bedara Vesha», which is performed during the nights beginning five days before the actual festival day. The festival is celebrated every alternate year in the town, which attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of India.^[71]

Maharashtra[edit]

In Maharashtra, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as Shimga, festivities that last five to seven days. A week before the festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On the day of Shimga, the firewood is heaped into a huge pile in each neighbourhood. In the evening, the fire is lit. Every household brings a meal and dessert, in the honour of the fire god. Puran Poli is the main delicacy and children shout «Holi re Holi puranachi poli». Shimga celebrates the elimination of all evil. The colour celebrations here take place on the day of Rang Panchami, five days after Shimga. During this festival, people are supposed to forget and forgive any rivalries and start new healthy relations with all.

Manipur[edit]

Manipuris celebrate Holi for 6 days. Here, this holiday merges with the festival of Yaosang. Traditionally, the festival commences with the burning of a thatched hut of hay and twigs. Young children go from house to house to collect money, locally known as nakadeng (or nakatheng), as gifts on the first two days. The youths at night perform a group folk dance called Thabal chongba on the full moon night of Lamta (Phalgun), traditionally accompanied by folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum, but nowadays by modern bands and fluorescent lamps. In Krishna temples, devotees sing devotional songs, perform dances and celebrate with aber (gulal) wearing traditional white and yellow turbans. On the last day of the festival, large processions are taken out to the main Krishna temple near Imphal where several cultural activities are held. In recent decades, Yaosang, a type of Indian sport, has become common in many places of the valley, where people of all ages come out to participate in a number of sports that are somewhat altered for the holiday.

Odisha[edit]

The people of Odisha celebrate «Dola» on the day of Holi where the icons of Jagannath replace the icons of Krishna and Radha. Dola Melana, processions of the deities are celebrated in villages and bhoga is offered to the deities. «Dola yatra» was prevalent even before 1560 much before Holi was started where the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra used to be taken to the «Dolamandapa» (podium in Jagannath temple).^[73] People used to offer natural colours known as «abira» to the deities and apply on each other’s feats.^[74]

Punjab[edit]

In Punjab, the eight days preceding Holi are known as luhatak.^[75] Sekhon (2000) states that people start throwing colours many days before Holi.^[76]

Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before when a fire is lit. Historically, the Lubana community of Punjab celebrated holi «with great pomp and show. The Lubanas buried a pice and betel nut. They heaped up cow-dung cakes over the spot and made a large fire. When the fire had burnt out, they proceeded to hunt for the pice and betel-nut. Whosoever found these, was considered very lucky.»^[77] Elsewhere in Punjab, Holi was also associated with making fools of others. Bose writing in Cultural Anthropology: And Other Essays in 1929 noted that «the custom of playing Holi-fools is prevalent in Punjab».^[78]

On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours^[79] on each other.^[80] For locals, Holi marks the end of winter. The Punjabi saying Phaggan phal laggan (Phagun is the month for fructifying) exemplifies the seasonal aspect of Holi. Trees and plants start blossoming from the day of Basant and start bearing fruit by Holi.^[81]

During Holi in Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to rangoli in South India, mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. This art is known as chowk-poorana or chowkpurana in Punjab and is given shape by the peasant women of the state. In courtyards, this art is drawn using a piece of cloth. The art includes drawing tree motifs, flowers, ferns, creepers, plants, peacocks, palanquins, geometric patterns along with vertical, horizontal and oblique lines. These arts add to the festive atmosphere.^[82]

Folk theatrical performances known as swang or nautanki take place during Holi,^[83] with the latter originating in the Punjab.^[84] According to Self (1993), Holi fairs are held in the Punjab which may go on for many days.^[85] Bose (1961) states that «in some parts of Punjab, Holi is celebrated with wrestling matches».^[86]

Tamil Nadu[edit]

In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as the Panguni Uthiram festival that signifies the blossoming of love and marriage. Rati and Kamadeva are worshipped in many parts. Temples also celebrate the marriages of Parvati and Parameswara, Murugan and Deivanai, Kodhai Aandaal and Rangamannar on this day. In the Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam, Narayana marries Komalavalli Naachiyar and gave Kalyana Kola Seva to his Bhakthas on this day. Valmiki’s Ramayana says it is on this day that Sita’s marriage with Rama was celebrated. Devotees throng to temples to witness the divine wedding ceremonies. It is also an auspicious date for engagements and weddings to finalise. From Brahmanda Puranam, it is said that on this Panguni Uthiram, all holy waters join the seven sacred tanks in Tirupati Tirumala.

Telangana[edit]

Holi is called as Kamuni Punnami/Kama Purnima or Jajiri in Telugu. Hindus celebrate Holi as it relates to the legend of Kamadeva. Holi is also known by different names: Kamavilas, Kamuni Panduga and Kama-Dahanam.^[87]

It is a 10-day festival in Telangana, of which last two days are of great importance. As in other parts of India, in rural Telangana, the 9 days preceding Holi, children celebrate kamuda by playing Kolata sticks along with singing folk songs called jajiri and collect money, rice, corn and wood.^[27] For this reason Holi is well known for «Jajiri Paatalu Kamudi aatalu», which means festival of «Jajiri songs and Kamudi games» and on 9th night i.e. Holy eve, all the wood is put together and set on fire representing Kama Dahanam.

Next morning i.e. 10th day is celebrated as Holi, with colours traditionally extracted from Moduga/Gogu Flowers (Palash/Butea monosperma).^[88]

Tripura[edit]

In Tripura Holi is known as «Pali» which means colour in Tripuri language, it’s celebrated all over Tripura.

Uttar Pradesh[edit]

• 

  Colour drenched gopis in Krishna Temple, Mathura, India.

• 

  In the Braj region of North India, women have the option to playfully hit men who save themselves with shields; for the day, men are culturally expected to accept whatever women dish out to them. This ritual is called Lath Mar Holi.^[89]

• 

  A play of colours then a dance at a Hindu temple near Mathura, at Holi.

Barsana, a town near Mathura in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, celebrates Lathmar Holi in the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness the Lath Mar Holi when women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi songs and shout «Radhe Radhe» or «Sri Radhe Krishna».^[90] The Holi songs of Braj Mandal are sung in pure Braj, the local language. Holi celebrated at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Males also sing provocative songs in a bid to invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive and use long staves called lathis to beat the men, who protect themselves with shields.^[91]

Mathura, in the Braj region, is the birthplace of Krishna. In Vrindavan this day is celebrated with special puja and the traditional custom of worshipping Radha Krishna; here the festival lasts for sixteen days.^[32] All over the Braj region^[92] and neighbouring places like Hathras, Aligarh, and Agra, Holi is celebrated in more or less the same way as in Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana.

A traditional celebration includes Matki Phod, similar to Dahi Handi in Maharashtra and Gujarat during Krishna Janmashtami, both in the memory of god Krishna who is also called makhan chor (literally, butter thief). This is a historic tradition of the Braj region as well as the western region of India.^[93] An earthen pot filled with butter or other milk products is hung high by a rope. Groups of boys and men climb on each other’s shoulders to form pyramids to reach and break it, while girls and women sing songs and throw coloured water on the pyramid to distract them and make their job harder.^[94] This ritual sport continues in Hindu diaspora communities.^[95]

Outside Braj, in the Kanpur area, Holi lasts seven days with colour. On the last day, a grand fair called Ganga Mela or the Holi Mela is celebrated. This Mela (fair) was started by freedom fighters who fought British rule in the First Indian War of Independence in 1857 under the leadership of Nana Saheb. The Mela is held at various ghats along the banks of the River Ganga in Kanpur, to celebrate the Hindus and Muslims who together resisted the British forces in the city in 1857. On the eve of Ganga Mela, all government offices, shops, and courts generally remain closed. The Ganga Mela marks the official end of «The Festival of Colours» or Holi in Kanpur.^{[citation needed]}

In Gorakhpur, the northeast district of Uttar Pradesh, the day of Holi starts with a special puja. This day, called «Holi Milan», is considered to be the most colourful day of the year, promoting brotherhood among the people. People visit every house and sing Holi songs and express their gratitude by applying coloured powder (Abeer).

Uttarakhand[edit]

Kumaoni Holi in Uttarakhand includes a musical affair. It takes different forms such as the Baithki Holi, the Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi. In Baithki Holi and Khari Holi, people sing songs with a touch of melody, fun, and spiritualism. These songs are essentially based on classical ragas. Baithki Holi (बैठकी होली), also known as Nirvan Ki Holi, begins from the premises of temples, where Holiyars (होल्यार) sing Holi songs and people gather to participate, along with playing classical music. The songs are sung in a particular sequence depending on the time of day; for instance, at noon the songs are based on Peelu, Bhimpalasi and Sarang ragas, while evening songs are based on the ragas such as Kalyan, Shyamkalyan and Yaman. The Khari Holi (खड़ी होली) is mostly celebrated in the rural areas of Kumaon. The songs of the Khari Holi are sung by the people, who, sporting traditional white churidar payajama and kurta, dance in groups to the tune of ethnic musical instruments such as the dhol and hurka.^[96]

In the Kumaon region, the Holika pyre, known as Cheer (चीर), is ceremonially built in a ceremony known as Cheer Bandhan (चीर बंधन) fifteen days before Dulhendi. The Cheer is a bonfire with a green Paiya tree branch in the middle. The Cheer of every village and neighbourhood is rigorously guarded as rival mohallas try to playfully steal each other’s cheer.^[97]

The colours used on Holi are derived from natural sources. Dulhendi, known as Charadi (छरड़ी) (from Chharad (छरड़)), is made from flower extracts, ash and water. Holi is celebrated with great gusto much in the same way all across North India.^[98]

West Bengal[edit]

In West Bengal, Holi is known by the name of «Dol Jatra», «Dol Purnima» or the «Swing Festival». The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Radha and Krishna on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken round the main streets of the city or the village. On the Dol Purnima day in the early morning, students(mainly in Shantiniketan) dress up in saffron-coloured or pure white clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments, such as the ektara, dubri, and Veena. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing songs. During these activities, the people keep throwing coloured water and dry colours, abir, at them.^{[citation needed]}

Nepal[edit]

• 

  Preparing for Holika Dahan, Kathamandu, Nepal.

• 

  Women celebrating Holi in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• 

  Tourists celebrating Holi in Pokhara, Nepal (2012)

Holi, also known as Phagu Purnima, along with many other Hindu festivals, is celebrated in Nepal as a national festival. It is an important major Nepal-wide festival along with Dashain and Tihar (Dipawali).^[99] It is celebrated in the Nepali month of Falgun (Terai region celebrates on the same date as Indian Holi, while rest of the country celebrates it a day earlier), and signifies the legends of the Hindu god Krishna.^[99] They worship Saraswati shrine in Vajrayogini temples and celebrate the festival with their Hindu friends.^[100]

Traditional concerts are held in most cities in Nepal, including Kathmandu, Narayangarh, Pokhara, Itahari, Hetauda, and Dharan, and are broadcast on television with various celebrity guests.

People walk through their neighbourhoods to celebrate Holi by exchanging colours and spraying coloured water on one another. A popular activity is the throwing of water balloons at one another, sometimes called lola (meaning water balloon).^[101] Many people mix bhang (made from cannabis, milk and spices) in their drinks and food, as is also done during Shivaratri. It is believed that the combination of different colours at this festival takes all sorrow away and makes life itself more colourful.

Pakistan[edit]

Holi is celebrated by the minority Hindu population in Pakistan. Community events by Hindus have been reported by Pakistani media in various cities such as Karachi,^[102] Hazara,^[103] Rawalpindi, Sindh, Hyderabad, Multan and Lahore.^[104] The Hindu tribes of Cholistan in the Punjab province of Pakistan play the game called Khido in the days leading up to the Holi. The game Khido is considered sacred by them as it is believed that Parhlad used to play this game during his childhood.^[105]

Holi was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. Holi along with Diwali for Hindus, and Easter for Christians, was adopted as public holiday resolution by Pakistan’s parliament in 2016, giving the local governments and public institutions the right to declare Holi as a holiday and grant leave for its minority communities, for the first time.^[106] This decision has been controversial, with some Pakistanis welcoming the decision, while others criticising it, with the concern that declaring Holi a public holiday advertises a Hindu festival to Pakistani children.^[107]

Indian diaspora[edit]

• 

  Drummers of Indo-Caribbean community celebrating Phagwah (Holi) in New York City, 2013.

• 

  A celebration of Holi Festival in the United States.

Over the years, Holi has become an important festival in many regions wherever Indian diaspora were either taken as indentured labourers during colonial era, or where they emigrated on their own, and are now present in large numbers such as in Africa, North America, Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia such as Fiji.^{[20][21][108][109]}

Suriname[edit]

Holi is a national holiday in Suriname. It is called Phagwa festival, and is celebrated to mark the beginning of spring and Hindu mythology. In Suriname, Holi Phagwa is a festival of colour. It is customary to wear old white clothes on this day, be prepared to get them dirty and join in the colour throwing excitement and party.^[110][111]

Trinidad and Tobago[edit]

Phagwa is celebrated with a lot of colour and splendour, along with the singing on traditional Phagwah songs or Chowtal (gana).

Guyana[edit]

Phagwah is a national holiday in Guyana, and peoples of all races and religions participate in the celebrations.^[112] The main celebration in Georgetown is held at the Mandir in Prashad Nagar.^[113]

Fiji[edit]

Indo-Fijians celebrate Holi as the festival of colours, folksongs, and dances. The folksongs sung in Fiji during Holi season are called phaag gaaian. Phagan, also written as Phalgan, is the last month of the Hindu calendar. Holi is celebrated on the full moon of Phagan. Holi marks the advent of spring and ripening of crops in Northern India. Not only it is a season of romance and excitement, folk songs and dances, it is also an occasion of playing with powder, perfumes, and colours. Many of the Holi songs in Fiji are around the theme of love-relationship between Radha and Krishna.^[114]

Mauritius[edit]

Holi in Mauritius comes close on the heels of Shivaratri. It celebrates the beginning of spring, commemorating good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. It is considered one of the most exhilarating religious holidays in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw coloured powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.^[115]

United States[edit]

Holi is celebrated in many US states by mainly Asian Americans, particularly those with Indian ancestry. It is usually hosted in Hindu temples or cultural halls. Members of Hindu associations and volunteers assist in hosting the event along with temple devotees. Some of the places known to celebrate Holi are New Brunswick (NJ), Spanish Fork (Utah), Houston (TX), Dallas (TX), South El Monte (CA), Milpitas (CA), Boston (MA), Potomac (MD), and Chicago (IL).^[116]

Indonesia[edit]

In Indonesia, Indian Indonesians and Balinese Hindu people celebrate Holi as festival of colours. The main celebrations are in Medan and Bali.^[117]

Sometimes the Indian immigrants from other countries may also celebrate a small-scale version of Holi.

Holi colours[edit]

Traditional sources of colours[edit]

The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. The playful throwing of natural coloured powders, called gulal has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of neem, kumkum, haldi, bilva, and other medicinal herbs suggested by Āyurvedic doctors.

Many colours are obtained by mixing primary colours. Artisans produce and sell many of the colours from natural sources in dry powder form, in weeks and months preceding Holi. Some of the traditional natural plant-based sources of colours are:^{[17][118][119]}

Orange and red[edit]

The flowers of palash or tesu tree, also called the flame of the forest, are typical source of bright red and deep orange colours. Powdered fragrant red sandalwood, dried hibiscus flowers, madder tree, radish, and pomegranate are alternate sources and shades of red. Mixing lime with turmeric powder creates an alternate source of orange powder, as does boiling saffron (kesar) in water.

Green[edit]

Mehendi and dried leaves of gulmohur tree offer a source of green colour. In some areas, the leaves of spring crops and herbs have been used as a source of green pigment.

Yellow[edit]

Haldi (turmeric) powder is the typical source of yellow colour. Sometimes this is mixed with chickpea (gram) or other flour to get the right shade. Bael fruit, amaltas, species of chrysanthemums, and species of marigold are alternate sources of yellow.

Blue[edit]

Indigo plant, Indian berries, species of grapes, blue hibiscus, and jacaranda flowers are traditional sources of blue colour for Holi.

Magenta and purple[edit]

Beetroot is the traditional source of magenta and purple colour. Often these are directly boiled in water to prepare coloured water.

Brown[edit]

Dried tea leaves offer a source of brown coloured water. Certain clays are alternate source of brown.

Black[edit]

Species of grapes, fruits of amla (gooseberry) and vegetable carbon (charcoal) offer grey to black colours.

The Holi powder[edit]

Health impact[edit]

A 2007 study found that malachite green, a synthetic bluish-green dye used in some colours during Holi festival, was responsible for severe eye irritation in Delhi, if eyes were not washed upon exposure. Though the study found that the pigment did not penetrate through the cornea, malachite green is of concern and needs further study.^[120]

Another 2009 study reports that some colours produced and sold in India contain metal-based industrial dyes, causing an increase in skin problems to some people in the days following Holi. These colours are produced in India, particularly by small informal businesses, without any quality checks and are sold freely in the market. The colours are sold without labelling, and the consumer lacks information about the source of the colours, their contents, and possible toxic effects. In recent years, several non-governmental organisations have started campaigning for safe practices related to the use of colours. Some are producing and marketing ranges of safer colours derived from natural sources such as vegetables and flowers.^[121]

These reports have galvanised a number of groups into promoting more natural celebrations of Holi. Development Alternatives, Delhi’s CLEAN India campaign,^[122] Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group, Pune,^[123] Society for Child Development through its Avacayam Cooperative Campaign^[124] have launched campaigns to help children learn to make their own colours for Holi from safer, natural ingredients. Meanwhile, some commercial companies such as the National Botanical Research Institute have begun to market «herbal» dyes, though these are substantially more expensive than the dangerous alternatives. However, it may be noted that many parts of rural India have always resorted to natural colours (and other parts of festivities more than colours) due to availability.

In urban areas, some people wear nose masks and sunglasses to avoid inhaling pigments and to prevent chemical exposure to eyes.^[125]

Environmental impact[edit]

An alleged environmental issue related to the celebration of Holi is the traditional Holika bonfire, which is believed to contribute to deforestation. Activists estimate Holika 30,000 bonfires every year during Holi, with each one burning approximately 100 kilograms (220.46 lbs) of wood.^[126] This represents less than 0.0001% of 350 million tons of wood India consumes every year, as one of the traditional fuels for cooking and other uses.^[127]

The use of heavy metal-based pigments during Holi is also reported to cause temporary wastewater pollution, with the water systems recovering to pre-festival levels within 5 days.^[128]

Application[edit]

During traditional Holi celebrations in India, Rinehart writes, colours are exchanged in person by «tenderly applying coloured powder to another person’s cheek», or by spraying and dousing others with buckets of coloured water.^[129]

Influence on other cultures[edit]

Holi is celebrated as a social event in parts of the United States.^[130] For example, at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New York^[131] and Festival of Colors: Holi NYC in New York City, New York,^{[130][132][4][133]}

Holi-inspired events[edit]

A number of Holi-inspired social events have also surfaced, particularly in Europe and the United States, often organised by companies as for-profit or charity events with paid admission, and with varying scheduling that does not coincide with the actual Holi festival. These have included Holi-inspired music festivals such as the Festival Of Colours Tour and Holi One^[134] (which feature timed throws of Holi powder), and 5K run franchises such as The Color Run, Holi Run and Color Me Rad,^[135] in which participants are doused with the powder at per-kilometre checkpoints.^[136][19] The BiH Color Festival is a Holi-inspired electronic music festival held annually in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[137][138] In recent years, schools across Australia have also adopted Holi inspired fund raising activites which leverage fundraising platforms such as Australian Fundraising, School Fun Run and Colour Frenzy to conduct such events.

There have been concerns that these events appropriate and trivialise aspects of Holi for commercial gain—downplaying or completely ignoring the cultural and spiritual roots of the celebration.^[136][19] Organisers of these events have argued that the costs are to cover various key aspects of their events, such as safe colour powders, safety and security, and entertainment.^[19]

See also[edit]

• Lathmar Holi
• Kha b-Nisan – Assyrian New Year
• Midsummer – Holiday held close to the summer solstice
• Nowruz – Iranian new year/spring equinox festival
• Songkran (Thailand) – Traditional Khmer New Year’s holiday, famous for ritualised public water fights

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Holi at Curlie

«Basanta Utsav» and «Holli» redirect here. For the film, see Basanta Utsav (film). For the ice hockey player, see Antti Hölli.

Holi
Krishna playing Holi with Radha and other gopis
Observed by	Hindus,[1] Sikhs, Jains,[2][3] and others[4]
Type	Religious, cultural, spring festival
Celebrations	Night after ((Holika Dahan)), Kama Dahan On Holi: spraying coloured dye, playing with coloured powder, dancing, greetings, festival delicacies[5]
Date	māsa (amānta) / māsa (purnimānta), pakṣa, tithi
2022 date	17-18 March in India[6][7] 17-18 March in Nepal[8]
Frequency	Annual
Related to	Hola Mohalla

Explanatory note

Hindu festival dates The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta. Iff a festival falls in the waning phase of the moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. A lunar year is shorter than a solar year by about eleven days. As a result, most Hindu festivals occur on different days in successive years on the Gregorian calendar.

v t e

Holi () is an ancient Hindu tradition and also one of the most popular festivals in Hinduism.^[1][9] It celebrates the eternal and divine love of Radha Krishna.^[10][11]
The day also signifies the triumph of good over evil,^[12][13] as it commemorates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha Narayana over Hiranyakashipu.^[14][15] It originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.^{[16][17][18][19][20][21]}

Holi celebrates the arrival of spring, the end of winter, the blossoming of love and for many, it is a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair broken relationships.^[17][22] The festival is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season.^[17][22] It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (Full Moon Day) falling in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna, which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar. The first evening is known as «Holika Dahan» or «Chhoti Holi» and the following day as «Holi», «Rangwali Holi», «Dol Purnima», «Dhuleti», «Dhulandi»,^[23] «Ukuli», «Manjal Kuli»,^[24] «Yaosang», «Shigmo»,^[25] «Phagwah»,^[26] or «Jajiri».^[27]

Holi celebrations are also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love.^[1][16][28] Holi celebrations start on the night before Holi with a Holika Dahan where people gather, perform religious rituals in front of a bonfire, and pray that their internal evil be destroyed the way Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, was killed in the fire. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) where people smear and drench each other with colours. Water guns and water-filled balloons are often used to play and colour each other, with anyone and anyplace being considered fair game to color. Groups often carry drums and other musical instruments going from place to place singing and dancing. Throughout the day people visit family, and friends and foes come together to chat, enjoy food and drink, and partake in Holi delicacies.^[29][30]

Cultural significance[edit]

The Holi festival has a cultural significance among various Hindu traditions of the Indian subcontinent. 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, an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends.^[22][31]

Radha Krishna[edit]

In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love.^[10][32] Garga Samhita, a puranic work by Sage Garga was the first literature to mention the romantic description of Radha and Krishna playing Holi.^[33] There is also a popular symbolic legend behind the festival. In his youth, Krishna despaired whether the fair-skinned Radha would like him because of his dark skin colour. His mother Yashoda, tired of his desperation, asks him to approach Radha and ask her to colour his face in any colour she wanted. This Radha did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha and Krishna’s face has been commemorated as Holi.^[11][34] Beyond India, these legends help 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.^[35][36] It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius.^[37]

Vishnu[edit]

There is a symbolic legend to explain why Holi is celebrated as a festival of triumph of good over evil in the honour of Hindu god Vishnu and his devotee Prahlada. King Hiranyakashipu father of Prahlada, according to a legend found in chapter 7 of Bhagavata Purana,^[14][15] was the king of demonic Asuras, and had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him.^[5]
Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlada, however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Vishnu.^[29] 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.^[5] 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,^[29] who survived while Holika burned. Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took the form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon).^[38]

The Holika bonfire and Holi signifies the celebration of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika.^[22]

Kama and Rati[edit]

Among other Hindu traditions such as Shaivism and Shaktism, the legendary significance of Holi is linked to Shiva in yoga and deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring back Shiva into the world, seeks help from the Hindu god of love called Kamadeva on Vasant Panchami. The love god shoots arrows at Shiva, the yogi opens his third eye and burns Kama to ashes. This upsets both Kama’s wife Rati (Kamadevi) and his own wife Parvati. Rati performs her own meditative asceticism for forty days, upon which Shiva understands, forgives out of compassion and restores the god of love. This return of the god of love, is celebrated on the 40th day after Vasant Panchami festival as Holi.^[39][40] The Kama legend and its significance to Holi has many variant forms, particularly in South India.^[41]

Other Indian religions[edit]

The festival has traditionally been also observed by non-Hindus, such as by Jains^[2] (Nepal).^[3]

In Mughal India, Holi was celebrated with such exuberance that people of all castes could throw colour on the Emperor.^[42] According to Sharma (2017), «there are several paintings of Mughal emperors celebrating Holi».^[43] Grand celebrations of Holi were held at the Lal Qila, where the festival was also known as Eid-e-gulaabi or Aab-e-Pashi.^[42] Mehfils were held throughout the walled city of Delhi with aristocrats and traders alike participating.^[42] This changed during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb. He banned the public celebration of Holi using a Farman issue in November 1665.^[44] However, the celebration were later restarted after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb. Bahadur Shah Zafar himself wrote a song for the festival, while poets such as Amir Khusrau, Ibrahim Raskhan, Nazeer Akbarabadi and Mehjoor Lakhnavi relished it in their writings.^[42]

Sikhs have traditionally celebrated the festival, at least through the 19th century,^[45] with its historic texts referring to it as Hola.^[46] Guru Gobind Singh – the last human guru of the Sikhs – modified Holi with a three-day Hola Mohalla extension festival of martial arts. The extension started the day after the Holi festival in Anandpur Sahib, where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises.^[47][48][49]

Holi was observed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Sikh Empire that extended across what are now northern parts of India and Pakistan. According to a report by Tribune India, Sikh court records state that 300 mounds of colours were used in 1837 by Ranjit Singh and his officials in Lahore. Ranjit Singh would celebrate Holi with others in the Bilawal gardens, where decorative tents were set up. In 1837, Sir Henry Fane who was the commander-in-chief of the British Indian army joined the Holi celebrations organised by Ranjit Singh. A mural in the Lahore Fort was sponsored by Ranjit Singh and it showed the Hindu god Krishna playing Holi with gopis. After the death of Ranjit Singh, his Sikh sons and others continued to play Holi every year with colours and lavish festivities. The colonial British officials joined these celebrations.^[50]

Description[edit]

Holi is a sacred ancient tradition of Hindus, a national holiday in India and Nepal with regional holidays in other countries. To many Hindus and some non-Hindus, it is a playful cultural event and an excuse to throw coloured water at friends or strangers in jest. It is also observed broadly in the Indian subcontinent. Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month marking the spring, making the date vary with the lunar cycle.^{[note 1]} The date falls typically in March, but sometimes late February of the Gregorian calendar.^[53][54]

The festival has many purposes; most prominently, it celebrates the beginning of Spring. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests and the fertile land.^[17] Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships, end conflicts and rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from the past.^[22][31]

It also has a religious purpose, symbolically signified by the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Little Holi People gather near fires, sing and dance. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi, is celebrated.^[55]

In Northern parts of India, Children and youth spray coloured powder solutions (gulal) at each other, laugh and celebrate, while adults smear dry coloured powder (abir) on each other’s faces.^[5][31] Visitors to homes are first teased with colours, then served with Holi delicacies (such as puranpoli, dahi-bada and gujia), desserts and drinks.^[30][56][57] After playing with colours, and cleaning up, people bathe, put on clean clothes, and visit friends and family.^[22]

Like Holika Dahan, Kama Dahanam is celebrated in some parts of India. The festival of colours in these parts is called Rangapanchami, and occurs on the fifth day after Poornima (full moon).^[58]

History and rituals[edit]

The Holi festival is an ancient Hindu festival with its cultural rituals. It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II.^[16] The celebration of Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit drama Ratnavali.^[59] The festival of Holi caught the fascination of European traders and British colonial staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions published after 1910.^[17]

There are several cultural rituals associated with Holi:^[60]

Holika Dahan[edit]

Preparation[edit]

Days before the festival, people start gathering wood and combustible materials for the bonfire in parks, community centers, near temples and other open spaces. On top of the pyre is an effigy to signify Holika who tricked Prahalad into the fire. Inside homes, people stock up on pigments, food, party drinks and festive seasonal foods such as gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other regional delicacies.

Bonfire[edit]

On the eve of Holi, typically at or after sunset, the pyre is lit, signifying Holika Dahan. The ritual symbolises the victory of good over evil. People gather around the fire to sing and dance.^[22]

Playing with colours[edit]

In North and Western India, Holi frolic and celebrations begin the morning after the Holika bonfire. Children and young people form groups armed with dry colours, coloured solution and water guns (pichkaris), water balloons filled with coloured water, and other creative means to colour their targets.^[60]

Traditionally, washable natural plant-derived colours such as turmeric, neem, dhak, and kumkum were used, but water-based commercial pigments are increasingly used nowadays. All colours are used. Everyone in open areas such as, streets and parks is game, but inside homes or at doorways only dry powder is used to smear each other’s face. People throw colours and get their targets completely coloured up. It is like a water fight, but with coloured water. People take delight in spraying coloured water on each other. By late morning, everyone looks like a canvas of colours. This is why Holi is given the name «Festival of Colours».

Groups sing and dance, some playing drums and dholak. After each stop of fun and play with colours, people offer gujiya, mathri, malpuas and other traditional delicacies.^[61] Cold drinks, including drinks made with marijuana,^[62] are also part of the Holi festivity.

Other variations[edit]

In the Braj region around Mathura, in north India, the festivities may last more than a week. The rituals go beyond playing with colours, and include a day where men go around with shields and women have the right to playfully beat them on their shields with sticks.^[63] It is known as Latthmaar Holi, traditionally celebrated in the Barsana village. Barsana is the village of Radha and women assume the role of gopikas (Radha’s friends) and men as gopas (Krishna’s friends).

In southern India, some worship and make offerings to Kamadeva, the god of love in Indian mythology.

Later in the day[edit]

After a day of play with colours, people clean up, wash and bathe, sober up and dress up in the evening and greet friends and relatives by visiting them and exchanging sweets. Holi is also a festival of forgiveness and new starts, which ritually aims to generate harmony in society.^[60] Many cities in Uttar Pradesh also organise Kavi Sammelan in the evening.

Regional names, rituals and celebrations[edit]

Holi (Hindi: होली, Kannada: ಹೋಳಿ, Marathi: होळी, Nepali: होली, Punjabi: ਹੋਲੀ, Telugu: హోళి) is also known as Basanto Utsav (Bengali: বসন্ত উত্সব) («Spring festival») in West Bengal and Assam; Festival of Colours, or Dol Jatra (Assamese: দ’ল যাত্ৰা) in Assam, Phagu Purnima (Nepali: फागु पूर्णिमा) in hilly region of Nepal, Dola jātra (Odia: ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା) in Odisha; also known as Phakuwa or Phagwah (Assamese: ফাকুৱা). The customs and celebrations vary between regions of India.

Holi is of particular significance in the Braj region, which includes locations traditionally associated with the Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandgaon, Uttar Pradesh, and Barsana, which become touristic during the season of Holi.^[32]

Outside India and Nepal, Holi is observed by Hindus in Bangladesh and Pakistan as well in countries with large Indian subcontinent diaspora populations such as Suriname, Guyana, Trinidad and Tobago, South Africa, Malaysia, the United Kingdom, the United States, Canada, Australia, Mauritius, and Fiji. The Holi rituals and customs outside South Asia also vary with local adaptations.

Celebrations[edit]

India[edit]

Bihar/Jharkhand[edit]

Holi is known as Phaguwa in the local Bhojpuri dialect. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dried cow dung cakes, wood of the Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves in the bonfire. At the time of Holika people assemble near the pyre. The eldest member of the gathering or a purohit initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. Traditionally, people also clean their houses to mark the festival.^[64]

Holi Milan is also observed in Bihar, where family members and well-wishers visit each other’s family, apply colours (abeer) on each other’s faces, and on feet, if elderly. Usually, this takes place on the evening of Holi, day after Holi with wet colours is played in the morning through the afternoon. Due to large-scale internal migration issues faced by the people, recently, this tradition has slowly begun to transform, and it is common to have Holi Milan on an entirely different day either before or after the actual day of Holi.^[65]

Children and youths take extreme delight in the festival. Though the festival is usually celebrated with colours, in some places, people also enjoy celebrating Holi with water solutions of mud or clay. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of the dholak (a two-headed hand-drum) and the spirit of Holi. Intoxicating bhang, made from cannabis, milk and spices, is consumed with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, such as pakoras and thandai, to enhance the mood of the festival.^[66]

Goa[edit]

Holi is locally called Ukkuli in Konkani. It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called Gosripuram temple. It is a part of the Goan or Konkani spring festival known as Śigmo or शिगमो in Koṅkaṇī or Śiśirotsava, which lasts for about a month. The colour festival or Holi is a part of longer, more extensive spring festival celebrations.^[67] Holi festivities (but not Śigmo festivities) include: Holika Puja and Dahan, Dhulvad or Dhuli vandan, Haldune or offering yellow and saffron colour or Gulal to the deity.

Gujarat[edit]

In Gujarat, Holi is a two-day festival. On the evening of the first day people light the bonfire. People offer raw coconut and corn to the fire. The second day is the festival of colour or «Dhuleti», celebrated by sprinkling coloured water and applying colours to each other. Dwarka, a coastal city of Gujarat, celebrates Holi at the Dwarkadheesh temple and with citywide comedy and music festivities.^[68] Falling in the Hindu month of Phalguna, Holi marks the agricultural season of the rabi crop.

In some places, there is a custom in undivided Hindu families that the woman beats her brother-in-law with a sari rolled up into a rope in a mock rage and tries to drench him with colours, and in turn, the brother-in-law brings sweets (Indian desserts) to her in the evening.^[69]

Jammu and Kashmir[edit]

In Jammu and Kashmir, Holi celebrations are much in line with the general definition of Holi celebrations: a high-spirited festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop, with the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing.^[70]

Karnataka[edit]

Traditionally, in rural Karnataka, children collect money and wood in the weeks prior to Holi, and on «Kamadahana» night, all the wood is put together and lit. The festival is celebrated for two days. People in northern parts of Karnataka prepare special food on this day.

In Sirsi, Karnataka, Holi is celebrated with a unique folk dance called «Bedara Vesha», which is performed during the nights beginning five days before the actual festival day. The festival is celebrated every alternate year in the town, which attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of India.^[71]

Maharashtra[edit]

In Maharashtra, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as Shimga, festivities that last five to seven days. A week before the festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On the day of Shimga, the firewood is heaped into a huge pile in each neighbourhood. In the evening, the fire is lit. Every household brings a meal and dessert, in the honour of the fire god. Puran Poli is the main delicacy and children shout «Holi re Holi puranachi poli». Shimga celebrates the elimination of all evil. The colour celebrations here take place on the day of Rang Panchami, five days after Shimga. During this festival, people are supposed to forget and forgive any rivalries and start new healthy relations with all.

Manipur[edit]

Manipuris celebrate Holi for 6 days. Here, this holiday merges with the festival of Yaosang. Traditionally, the festival commences with the burning of a thatched hut of hay and twigs. Young children go from house to house to collect money, locally known as nakadeng (or nakatheng), as gifts on the first two days. The youths at night perform a group folk dance called Thabal chongba on the full moon night of Lamta (Phalgun), traditionally accompanied by folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum, but nowadays by modern bands and fluorescent lamps. In Krishna temples, devotees sing devotional songs, perform dances and celebrate with aber (gulal) wearing traditional white and yellow turbans. On the last day of the festival, large processions are taken out to the main Krishna temple near Imphal where several cultural activities are held. In recent decades, Yaosang, a type of Indian sport, has become common in many places of the valley, where people of all ages come out to participate in a number of sports that are somewhat altered for the holiday.

Odisha[edit]

The people of Odisha celebrate «Dola» on the day of Holi where the icons of Jagannath replace the icons of Krishna and Radha. Dola Melana, processions of the deities are celebrated in villages and bhoga is offered to the deities. «Dola yatra» was prevalent even before 1560 much before Holi was started where the idols of Jagannath, Balabhadra and Subhadra used to be taken to the «Dolamandapa» (podium in Jagannath temple).^[73] People used to offer natural colours known as «abira» to the deities and apply on each other’s feats.^[74]

Punjab[edit]

In Punjab, the eight days preceding Holi are known as luhatak.^[75] Sekhon (2000) states that people start throwing colours many days before Holi.^[76]

Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before when a fire is lit. Historically, the Lubana community of Punjab celebrated holi «with great pomp and show. The Lubanas buried a pice and betel nut. They heaped up cow-dung cakes over the spot and made a large fire. When the fire had burnt out, they proceeded to hunt for the pice and betel-nut. Whosoever found these, was considered very lucky.»^[77] Elsewhere in Punjab, Holi was also associated with making fools of others. Bose writing in Cultural Anthropology: And Other Essays in 1929 noted that «the custom of playing Holi-fools is prevalent in Punjab».^[78]

On the day of Holi, people engage in throwing colours^[79] on each other.^[80] For locals, Holi marks the end of winter. The Punjabi saying Phaggan phal laggan (Phagun is the month for fructifying) exemplifies the seasonal aspect of Holi. Trees and plants start blossoming from the day of Basant and start bearing fruit by Holi.^[81]

During Holi in Punjab, walls and courtyards of rural houses are enhanced with drawings and paintings similar to rangoli in South India, mandana in Rajasthan, and rural arts in other parts of India. This art is known as chowk-poorana or chowkpurana in Punjab and is given shape by the peasant women of the state. In courtyards, this art is drawn using a piece of cloth. The art includes drawing tree motifs, flowers, ferns, creepers, plants, peacocks, palanquins, geometric patterns along with vertical, horizontal and oblique lines. These arts add to the festive atmosphere.^[82]

Folk theatrical performances known as swang or nautanki take place during Holi,^[83] with the latter originating in the Punjab.^[84] According to Self (1993), Holi fairs are held in the Punjab which may go on for many days.^[85] Bose (1961) states that «in some parts of Punjab, Holi is celebrated with wrestling matches».^[86]

Tamil Nadu[edit]

In Tamil Nadu, it is celebrated as the Panguni Uthiram festival that signifies the blossoming of love and marriage. Rati and Kamadeva are worshipped in many parts. Temples also celebrate the marriages of Parvati and Parameswara, Murugan and Deivanai, Kodhai Aandaal and Rangamannar on this day. In the Sarangapani temple in Kumbakonam, Narayana marries Komalavalli Naachiyar and gave Kalyana Kola Seva to his Bhakthas on this day. Valmiki’s Ramayana says it is on this day that Sita’s marriage with Rama was celebrated. Devotees throng to temples to witness the divine wedding ceremonies. It is also an auspicious date for engagements and weddings to finalise. From Brahmanda Puranam, it is said that on this Panguni Uthiram, all holy waters join the seven sacred tanks in Tirupati Tirumala.

Telangana[edit]

Holi is called as Kamuni Punnami/Kama Purnima or Jajiri in Telugu. Hindus celebrate Holi as it relates to the legend of Kamadeva. Holi is also known by different names: Kamavilas, Kamuni Panduga and Kama-Dahanam.^[87]

It is a 10-day festival in Telangana, of which last two days are of great importance. As in other parts of India, in rural Telangana, the 9 days preceding Holi, children celebrate kamuda by playing Kolata sticks along with singing folk songs called jajiri and collect money, rice, corn and wood.^[27] For this reason Holi is well known for «Jajiri Paatalu Kamudi aatalu», which means festival of «Jajiri songs and Kamudi games» and on 9th night i.e. Holy eve, all the wood is put together and set on fire representing Kama Dahanam.

Next morning i.e. 10th day is celebrated as Holi, with colours traditionally extracted from Moduga/Gogu Flowers (Palash/Butea monosperma).^[88]

Tripura[edit]

In Tripura Holi is known as «Pali» which means colour in Tripuri language, it’s celebrated all over Tripura.

Uttar Pradesh[edit]

• 

  Colour drenched gopis in Krishna Temple, Mathura, India.

• 

  In the Braj region of North India, women have the option to playfully hit men who save themselves with shields; for the day, men are culturally expected to accept whatever women dish out to them. This ritual is called Lath Mar Holi.^[89]

• 

  A play of colours then a dance at a Hindu temple near Mathura, at Holi.

Barsana, a town near Mathura in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh, celebrates Lathmar Holi in the sprawling compound of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness the Lath Mar Holi when women beat up men with sticks as those on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi songs and shout «Radhe Radhe» or «Sri Radhe Krishna».^[90] The Holi songs of Braj Mandal are sung in pure Braj, the local language. Holi celebrated at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men away with sticks. Males also sing provocative songs in a bid to invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive and use long staves called lathis to beat the men, who protect themselves with shields.^[91]

Mathura, in the Braj region, is the birthplace of Krishna. In Vrindavan this day is celebrated with special puja and the traditional custom of worshipping Radha Krishna; here the festival lasts for sixteen days.^[32] All over the Braj region^[92] and neighbouring places like Hathras, Aligarh, and Agra, Holi is celebrated in more or less the same way as in Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana.

A traditional celebration includes Matki Phod, similar to Dahi Handi in Maharashtra and Gujarat during Krishna Janmashtami, both in the memory of god Krishna who is also called makhan chor (literally, butter thief). This is a historic tradition of the Braj region as well as the western region of India.^[93] An earthen pot filled with butter or other milk products is hung high by a rope. Groups of boys and men climb on each other’s shoulders to form pyramids to reach and break it, while girls and women sing songs and throw coloured water on the pyramid to distract them and make their job harder.^[94] This ritual sport continues in Hindu diaspora communities.^[95]

Outside Braj, in the Kanpur area, Holi lasts seven days with colour. On the last day, a grand fair called Ganga Mela or the Holi Mela is celebrated. This Mela (fair) was started by freedom fighters who fought British rule in the First Indian War of Independence in 1857 under the leadership of Nana Saheb. The Mela is held at various ghats along the banks of the River Ganga in Kanpur, to celebrate the Hindus and Muslims who together resisted the British forces in the city in 1857. On the eve of Ganga Mela, all government offices, shops, and courts generally remain closed. The Ganga Mela marks the official end of «The Festival of Colours» or Holi in Kanpur.^{[citation needed]}

In Gorakhpur, the northeast district of Uttar Pradesh, the day of Holi starts with a special puja. This day, called «Holi Milan», is considered to be the most colourful day of the year, promoting brotherhood among the people. People visit every house and sing Holi songs and express their gratitude by applying coloured powder (Abeer).

Uttarakhand[edit]

Kumaoni Holi in Uttarakhand includes a musical affair. It takes different forms such as the Baithki Holi, the Khari Holi and the Mahila Holi. In Baithki Holi and Khari Holi, people sing songs with a touch of melody, fun, and spiritualism. These songs are essentially based on classical ragas. Baithki Holi (बैठकी होली), also known as Nirvan Ki Holi, begins from the premises of temples, where Holiyars (होल्यार) sing Holi songs and people gather to participate, along with playing classical music. The songs are sung in a particular sequence depending on the time of day; for instance, at noon the songs are based on Peelu, Bhimpalasi and Sarang ragas, while evening songs are based on the ragas such as Kalyan, Shyamkalyan and Yaman. The Khari Holi (खड़ी होली) is mostly celebrated in the rural areas of Kumaon. The songs of the Khari Holi are sung by the people, who, sporting traditional white churidar payajama and kurta, dance in groups to the tune of ethnic musical instruments such as the dhol and hurka.^[96]

In the Kumaon region, the Holika pyre, known as Cheer (चीर), is ceremonially built in a ceremony known as Cheer Bandhan (चीर बंधन) fifteen days before Dulhendi. The Cheer is a bonfire with a green Paiya tree branch in the middle. The Cheer of every village and neighbourhood is rigorously guarded as rival mohallas try to playfully steal each other’s cheer.^[97]

The colours used on Holi are derived from natural sources. Dulhendi, known as Charadi (छरड़ी) (from Chharad (छरड़)), is made from flower extracts, ash and water. Holi is celebrated with great gusto much in the same way all across North India.^[98]

West Bengal[edit]

In West Bengal, Holi is known by the name of «Dol Jatra», «Dol Purnima» or the «Swing Festival». The festival is celebrated in a dignified manner by placing the icons of Radha and Krishna on a picturesquely decorated palanquin which is then taken round the main streets of the city or the village. On the Dol Purnima day in the early morning, students(mainly in Shantiniketan) dress up in saffron-coloured or pure white clothes and wear garlands of fragrant flowers. They sing and dance to the accompaniment of musical instruments, such as the ektara, dubri, and Veena. The devotees take turns to swing them while women dance around the swing and sing songs. During these activities, the people keep throwing coloured water and dry colours, abir, at them.^{[citation needed]}

Nepal[edit]

• 

  Preparing for Holika Dahan, Kathamandu, Nepal.

• 

  Women celebrating Holi in Kathmandu, Nepal.

• 

  Tourists celebrating Holi in Pokhara, Nepal (2012)

Holi, also known as Phagu Purnima, along with many other Hindu festivals, is celebrated in Nepal as a national festival. It is an important major Nepal-wide festival along with Dashain and Tihar (Dipawali).^[99] It is celebrated in the Nepali month of Falgun (Terai region celebrates on the same date as Indian Holi, while rest of the country celebrates it a day earlier), and signifies the legends of the Hindu god Krishna.^[99] They worship Saraswati shrine in Vajrayogini temples and celebrate the festival with their Hindu friends.^[100]

Traditional concerts are held in most cities in Nepal, including Kathmandu, Narayangarh, Pokhara, Itahari, Hetauda, and Dharan, and are broadcast on television with various celebrity guests.

People walk through their neighbourhoods to celebrate Holi by exchanging colours and spraying coloured water on one another. A popular activity is the throwing of water balloons at one another, sometimes called lola (meaning water balloon).^[101] Many people mix bhang (made from cannabis, milk and spices) in their drinks and food, as is also done during Shivaratri. It is believed that the combination of different colours at this festival takes all sorrow away and makes life itself more colourful.

Pakistan[edit]

Holi is celebrated by the minority Hindu population in Pakistan. Community events by Hindus have been reported by Pakistani media in various cities such as Karachi,^[102] Hazara,^[103] Rawalpindi, Sindh, Hyderabad, Multan and Lahore.^[104] The Hindu tribes of Cholistan in the Punjab province of Pakistan play the game called Khido in the days leading up to the Holi. The game Khido is considered sacred by them as it is believed that Parhlad used to play this game during his childhood.^[105]

Holi was not a public holiday in Pakistan from 1947 to 2016. Holi along with Diwali for Hindus, and Easter for Christians, was adopted as public holiday resolution by Pakistan’s parliament in 2016, giving the local governments and public institutions the right to declare Holi as a holiday and grant leave for its minority communities, for the first time.^[106] This decision has been controversial, with some Pakistanis welcoming the decision, while others criticising it, with the concern that declaring Holi a public holiday advertises a Hindu festival to Pakistani children.^[107]

Indian diaspora[edit]

• 

  Drummers of Indo-Caribbean community celebrating Phagwah (Holi) in New York City, 2013.

• 

  A celebration of Holi Festival in the United States.

Over the years, Holi has become an important festival in many regions wherever Indian diaspora were either taken as indentured labourers during colonial era, or where they emigrated on their own, and are now present in large numbers such as in Africa, North America, Europe, Latin America, and parts of Asia such as Fiji.^{[20][21][108][109]}

Suriname[edit]

Holi is a national holiday in Suriname. It is called Phagwa festival, and is celebrated to mark the beginning of spring and Hindu mythology. In Suriname, Holi Phagwa is a festival of colour. It is customary to wear old white clothes on this day, be prepared to get them dirty and join in the colour throwing excitement and party.^[110][111]

Trinidad and Tobago[edit]

Phagwa is celebrated with a lot of colour and splendour, along with the singing on traditional Phagwah songs or Chowtal (gana).

Guyana[edit]

Phagwah is a national holiday in Guyana, and peoples of all races and religions participate in the celebrations.^[112] The main celebration in Georgetown is held at the Mandir in Prashad Nagar.^[113]

Fiji[edit]

Indo-Fijians celebrate Holi as the festival of colours, folksongs, and dances. The folksongs sung in Fiji during Holi season are called phaag gaaian. Phagan, also written as Phalgan, is the last month of the Hindu calendar. Holi is celebrated on the full moon of Phagan. Holi marks the advent of spring and ripening of crops in Northern India. Not only it is a season of romance and excitement, folk songs and dances, it is also an occasion of playing with powder, perfumes, and colours. Many of the Holi songs in Fiji are around the theme of love-relationship between Radha and Krishna.^[114]

Mauritius[edit]

Holi in Mauritius comes close on the heels of Shivaratri. It celebrates the beginning of spring, commemorating good harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time of enjoying spring’s abundant colours and saying farewell to winter. It is considered one of the most exhilarating religious holidays in existence. During this event, participants hold a bonfire, throw coloured powder at each other, and celebrate wildly.^[115]

United States[edit]

Holi is celebrated in many US states by mainly Asian Americans, particularly those with Indian ancestry. It is usually hosted in Hindu temples or cultural halls. Members of Hindu associations and volunteers assist in hosting the event along with temple devotees. Some of the places known to celebrate Holi are New Brunswick (NJ), Spanish Fork (Utah), Houston (TX), Dallas (TX), South El Monte (CA), Milpitas (CA), Boston (MA), Potomac (MD), and Chicago (IL).^[116]

Indonesia[edit]

In Indonesia, Indian Indonesians and Balinese Hindu people celebrate Holi as festival of colours. The main celebrations are in Medan and Bali.^[117]

Sometimes the Indian immigrants from other countries may also celebrate a small-scale version of Holi.

Holi colours[edit]

Traditional sources of colours[edit]

The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. The playful throwing of natural coloured powders, called gulal has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of neem, kumkum, haldi, bilva, and other medicinal herbs suggested by Āyurvedic doctors.

Many colours are obtained by mixing primary colours. Artisans produce and sell many of the colours from natural sources in dry powder form, in weeks and months preceding Holi. Some of the traditional natural plant-based sources of colours are:^{[17][118][119]}

Orange and red[edit]

The flowers of palash or tesu tree, also called the flame of the forest, are typical source of bright red and deep orange colours. Powdered fragrant red sandalwood, dried hibiscus flowers, madder tree, radish, and pomegranate are alternate sources and shades of red. Mixing lime with turmeric powder creates an alternate source of orange powder, as does boiling saffron (kesar) in water.

Green[edit]

Mehendi and dried leaves of gulmohur tree offer a source of green colour. In some areas, the leaves of spring crops and herbs have been used as a source of green pigment.

Yellow[edit]

Haldi (turmeric) powder is the typical source of yellow colour. Sometimes this is mixed with chickpea (gram) or other flour to get the right shade. Bael fruit, amaltas, species of chrysanthemums, and species of marigold are alternate sources of yellow.

Blue[edit]

Indigo plant, Indian berries, species of grapes, blue hibiscus, and jacaranda flowers are traditional sources of blue colour for Holi.

Magenta and purple[edit]

Beetroot is the traditional source of magenta and purple colour. Often these are directly boiled in water to prepare coloured water.

Brown[edit]

Dried tea leaves offer a source of brown coloured water. Certain clays are alternate source of brown.

Black[edit]

Species of grapes, fruits of amla (gooseberry) and vegetable carbon (charcoal) offer grey to black colours.

The Holi powder[edit]

Health impact[edit]

A 2007 study found that malachite green, a synthetic bluish-green dye used in some colours during Holi festival, was responsible for severe eye irritation in Delhi, if eyes were not washed upon exposure. Though the study found that the pigment did not penetrate through the cornea, malachite green is of concern and needs further study.^[120]

Another 2009 study reports that some colours produced and sold in India contain metal-based industrial dyes, causing an increase in skin problems to some people in the days following Holi. These colours are produced in India, particularly by small informal businesses, without any quality checks and are sold freely in the market. The colours are sold without labelling, and the consumer lacks information about the source of the colours, their contents, and possible toxic effects. In recent years, several non-governmental organisations have started campaigning for safe practices related to the use of colours. Some are producing and marketing ranges of safer colours derived from natural sources such as vegetables and flowers.^[121]

These reports have galvanised a number of groups into promoting more natural celebrations of Holi. Development Alternatives, Delhi’s CLEAN India campaign,^[122] Kalpavriksh Environment Action Group, Pune,^[123] Society for Child Development through its Avacayam Cooperative Campaign^[124] have launched campaigns to help children learn to make their own colours for Holi from safer, natural ingredients. Meanwhile, some commercial companies such as the National Botanical Research Institute have begun to market «herbal» dyes, though these are substantially more expensive than the dangerous alternatives. However, it may be noted that many parts of rural India have always resorted to natural colours (and other parts of festivities more than colours) due to availability.

In urban areas, some people wear nose masks and sunglasses to avoid inhaling pigments and to prevent chemical exposure to eyes.^[125]

Environmental impact[edit]

An alleged environmental issue related to the celebration of Holi is the traditional Holika bonfire, which is believed to contribute to deforestation. Activists estimate Holika 30,000 bonfires every year during Holi, with each one burning approximately 100 kilograms (220.46 lbs) of wood.^[126] This represents less than 0.0001% of 350 million tons of wood India consumes every year, as one of the traditional fuels for cooking and other uses.^[127]

The use of heavy metal-based pigments during Holi is also reported to cause temporary wastewater pollution, with the water systems recovering to pre-festival levels within 5 days.^[128]

Application[edit]

During traditional Holi celebrations in India, Rinehart writes, colours are exchanged in person by «tenderly applying coloured powder to another person’s cheek», or by spraying and dousing others with buckets of coloured water.^[129]

Influence on other cultures[edit]

Holi is celebrated as a social event in parts of the United States.^[130] For example, at Sri Sri Radha Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork, Utah, NYC Holi Hai in Manhattan, New York^[131] and Festival of Colors: Holi NYC in New York City, New York,^{[130][132][4][133]}

Holi-inspired events[edit]

A number of Holi-inspired social events have also surfaced, particularly in Europe and the United States, often organised by companies as for-profit or charity events with paid admission, and with varying scheduling that does not coincide with the actual Holi festival. These have included Holi-inspired music festivals such as the Festival Of Colours Tour and Holi One^[134] (which feature timed throws of Holi powder), and 5K run franchises such as The Color Run, Holi Run and Color Me Rad,^[135] in which participants are doused with the powder at per-kilometre checkpoints.^[136][19] The BiH Color Festival is a Holi-inspired electronic music festival held annually in Brčko, Bosnia and Herzegovina.^[137][138] In recent years, schools across Australia have also adopted Holi inspired fund raising activites which leverage fundraising platforms such as Australian Fundraising, School Fun Run and Colour Frenzy to conduct such events.

There have been concerns that these events appropriate and trivialise aspects of Holi for commercial gain—downplaying or completely ignoring the cultural and spiritual roots of the celebration.^[136][19] Organisers of these events have argued that the costs are to cover various key aspects of their events, such as safe colour powders, safety and security, and entertainment.^[19]

See also[edit]

• Lathmar Holi
• Kha b-Nisan – Assyrian New Year
• Midsummer – Holiday held close to the summer solstice
• Nowruz – Iranian new year/spring equinox festival
• Songkran (Thailand) – Traditional Khmer New Year’s holiday, famous for ritualised public water fights

Notes[edit]

References[edit]

External links[edit]

• Holi at Curlie

Содержание:

• Праздник Холи в Индии — праздник весны и ярких красок
• Праздник Дивали в Индии – праздник огней
• Праздник Ид –Уль- Фитр – праздник радости и выражения благодарности
• Праздник слонов в Индии – самый зрелищный праздник
• Национальные праздники Индии

Праздники Индии – красочный калейдоскоп, именуемый Индия

Индия является мультикультурным и мультинациональным государством, поэтому здесь принято отмечать праздники различных религий. К национальным праздникам Индии относятся: День Республики, День независимости и День рождения Ганди Джаянти.

Но помимо официальных национальных праздников Индии, здесь есть огромное количество религиозных праздников. Так, к праздникам, выражающим яркий культурный религиозный колорит Индии относятся: мусумальманский Ид-Уль-Фитр, индусские Дивали, Холи, Ганеша-чатуртхи, Дуссехра.

Большинство праздников имеют подвижную дату и рассчитываются по лунному календарю.

Праздники Индии являются своего рода хранилищем многовековой культуры, и сохраняют в себе древние песни, игры, танцы и ритуалы. Они служат хорошим примером гостеприимства, привлекающие людей со всех уголков Земли.

Праздник Холи в Индии — праздник весны и ярких красок

Одним из наиболее красочных индийских праздников считается Латхмар Холи, который обозначает приход весны. По- другому, его называют «Фестивалем красок».

Праздник весны в Индии отмечается в конце марта- начале апреля, в течение 2 дней, в полнолуние. Так, накануне второго дня Холи ночью индусы разводят огромный костер, на котором происходит сожжение чучела Холики. А наутро начинается веселье. Все жители выходят их своих домов и начинают обливать друг друга подкрашенной разноцветной водой, либо кидаться цветными порошками. Чаще всего используется красный цвет, реже желтый и зеленый.

Праздник красок в Индии является весьма древним праздником. Раньше его именовали как Холика. Свое название он получил от имени легендарной сестры короля демонов — Холики. Король демонов обладал особым даром – неуязвимостью, то есть он не мог быть убит, не мог быть человеком или животным. А его сын Прохлада поклонялся Вишну, что не могло не разгневовать отца. Поэтому он приказал Холике убить Прохлада. Считалось, что демоница не горит в огне. Поэтому она уговорила Прохлада взойти на костер во имя Бога. И когда они вместе взошли на костер, к общему удивлению сгорела Холика, а не Прохлад, так как он был спасен Богом Вишну. И память об этих событиях накануне праздника происходит сожжение злого чучела Холики.

Праздник Дивали в Индии – праздник огней

Одним из самых веселых праздников в Индии является Дивали. Появление праздника связывают с появлением Рамы – известного героя индийский сказаний. Празднование Дивали осуществляется в течении пяти дней. Отмечается он в конце октября начале ноября.

Праздник огня в Индии принято олицетворять с символом победы добра над злом и света над невежеством. Поэтому зажигаются повсеместно фонарики и огни в знак этой победы. Главной декорацией праздника являются святящиеся фонарики, укрощающие статуи богов и животных. Маленькие деревни и большие города во время празднования Дивали озаряются огнями. Вечером зажигаются бенгальские огни и запускаются в небо фейерверки.

Индийцы заранее готовятся к этому празднику. Двери украшаются цветами и листьями манго, а над входом зажигаются глиняные лампы, являющиеся символом пяти элементов: пространство, земля, вода, огонь и воздух.

Также в этот праздник соблюдаются определенные традиции, несущие собой определенное духовное значение. Приводится в порядок и дом и тело. С помощью медитации происходит очищение тела. Свет ума знаменуется освещением дома разноцветными огоньками.

Праздник Дивали – это одевание новой одежды, использование новой посуды, очищение дома, особенное почитание Божеств.

Праздник Ид –Уль- Фитр – праздник радости и выражения благодарности

Наиболее веселым из мусульманских праздников является праздник Ид-Уль-Фильтр или праздник Разговения. Он знаменует собой завершение священного месяца Рамазана, в течение которого индусам не разрешается даже пить воду и курить. Праздник приходит по мусульманскому лунному календарю на первое и второе число месяца Шавалл. Весь день мусульмане, до появления на небе новой луны, молятся и читают священную книгу Коран. Есть разрешается только после захода солнца.

В этот день во всех церквях проводят службы. Общая молитва является основной частью праздник. По этому случаю, мусульмане всех слоев общества надевают на себя новые костюмы. Также готовятся особые сладости и блюда. Самым популярным лакомством является подслащенное молоко.

Праздник Ид в Индии отмечается с большим воодушевлением. В нем могут принимать участие и представители других религий.

Праздник слонов в Индии – самый зрелищный праздник

Слоновый праздник в Индии называется Триссур Пирам, который ежегодно проводится в одноименном городе Триссуре в храмовом комплексе Ваддаккуннтахан в мае месяце. Зрители, придя на праздник могут наблюдать грандиозное шоу со слонами.

Следует отметить, что слон в Индии является олицетворением Бога Ганеши, который дарует богатство и процветание.

Само представление продолжается 36 часов. Происходит шествие 15 слонов от храма Тирувамбади до Ваддаккуннтахан. Статуя Бога Кришны стоит на спине главного слона. Другая колонна слонов начинает свое шествие от храма Парамекаву Бхагавати. Изображение Богини Девы находится на спине у лидера этой группы. На спине у каждого слона сидит индийский мужчина, который ритмично вращает переливающимся зонтиком, сделанным из натурального шелка и инкрустированным золотом.

Все шествие происходит под сопровождение непрерывной звучащей гипнотической музыки.

Национальные праздники Индии

• К основным государственным праздникам Индии относятся:

День независимости Индии— государственный праздник, ежегодно отмечаемый в Индиии 15 августа – день провозглашения Республики Индии от Великобритании в 1947 году. В этот день во многих городах и даже деревнях проводится церемония поднятия государственного флага. Также произнесения речей местными политическими деятелями является традиционным ритуалом. Устраиваются праздничные приемы губернаторами штатов.

День рождения Ганди – государственный праздник, ежегодно отмечаемый 2 октября в честь Дня Рождения Мохандаса Карамчана Ганди, являющийся выдающимся руководителем национально- освободительного движения индийского народа. Ганди — официально названный в Индии Отец Наций. Празднование проходит по всей стране. Так, с памятью Ганди в Дели основным его местом является его могила, в которой захоронена часть его праха. В день его рождения здесь собираются религиозные лидеры различных конфессий, руководители Индийской Республики и местные жители.

День Республики – государственный праздник, ежегодно отмечаемый 26 января, который был введен в Индии в 1950 году. Самые широкие слои населения этой страны празднуют этот знаменательный день. Организация праздничный процессий в Дели, а также в столицах всех штатов, является характерной чертой этого праздника.

В Дели процессия проходит по центральному проспекту от Президентского дворца к Воротоам Индии. Данную процессию образуют оформленные красочно платформы, на которых стоят многочисленные зрители различных штатов страны. 

Холи: история и традиции праздника весны и красок в Индии

Индия — это мультинациональная и мультикультурная страна, которая обладает неповторимым колоритом. Она интригует и привлекает путешественников со всего мира. С культурой этой страны мечтают познакомиться многие. Особенно интересны индийские праздники. Яркие и самобытные, они наделены глубоким смыслом и сопровождаются интересными обычаями.

Национальные праздники

Основные государственные индийские праздники следующие:

• День независимости — государственный праздник, который отмечается 15 августа. Он связан с провозглашением независимости республики от Великобритании. В этот день в городах и деревнях проводится торжественное поднятие флага, политические деятели произносят речи, устраиваются праздничные шествия.

• День рождения Ганди — праздник, который отмечается второго октября. Это день рождения Мохандаса Карамчанда Ганди, который был выдающимся лидером национально-освободительного движения, а также Отцом Наций. Это праздник отмечается в Индии повсеместно. Основные мероприятия проводятся в Дели — в месте, где захоронена часть праха государственного деятеля. В этот день у могилы Ганди собираются религиозные и политические деятели, а также обычные люди.

• День Республики — государственный праздник, который отмечается 26 января начиная с 1950 года. Характерная черта этого дня — масштабные праздничные шествия в столицах штатов (наиболее крупные процессии проходят в Дели). В параде принимают участие политические деятели и местные жители. Торжественную обстановку придают красиво оформленные праздничные платформы.

Дивали

Один из главных индийских праздников — Дивали. По значимости его можно сравнить с европейским Новым годом. Он символизирует победу добра над злом. Речь идет о победе бога Кришны над демоном Наракасурой, который похищал индийских царевен. Победителя народ встречал зажженными факелами и светильниками. Именно эта традиция стала основной.

Индийский праздник Дивали отмечают на протяжении пяти дней. Их описание приведено в таблице.

День	Название	Смысл	Традиции
1	Дханвантари Трайодаши (Дхана-Трайодаши)	бог Дханвантари был рожден из океана и принес миру знания об Аюрведе	— нужно искупаться на закате; — предложить лампаду и прасад богу Ямарадже и помолиться о защите от преждевременной смерти (делать около священного дерева); — покупать украшения и посуду
2	Нарака Чатурдаши (Чхоти-Дивали)	освобождение мира от страха благодаря победе бога Кришны над Наракасурой	— с этого дня начинают запускать фейерверки; — нужно делать массаж тела с маслом; — хорошо отдохнуть, чтобы набраться энергии перед праздником Дивали
3	Дивали — Лакшми Пуджа	поклонение богине Лакшми	— нужно убраться в доме и навести в нем идеальный порядок; — начало индийского праздника огня — зажигают фонари и огни, чтобы осветить путь богине Лакшми; — запускают фейерверки; — в храмах бьют в колокола и барабаны
4	Говардхана Пуджа	день коронации короля Викрамадитья, а также день, когда Кришна защитил жителей Гокула от гнева Индры.	— в храмах делают молочную ванну божествам и одевают их в блестящие одежды с камнями; — божествам подносят сладости, а затем предлагают их тем, кто пришел в храм
5	Йама-Двитийа или Бхайа-дуджа	день, посвященный любви между братьями и сестрами	— сестры готовят еду для братьев и молятся за них; — браться дарят сестрам подарки и дают им благословение

Интересно, что во время праздника Дивали обостряется интерес к азартным играм (особенно на севере Индии). Причем люди играют не с целью выигрыша, а просто ради удовольствия. Эта традиция связана с легендой о богине Парвати и ее муже Шиве, которые играли в кости. Богиня сказала, что каждый, кто станет играть на праздник Дивали, будет благополучен в течение года. А еще говорят, что тот, кто не будет играть на праздник, в следующей жизни переродится в осла.

Фестиваль Ганеши-Чатуртхи

Фестиваль Ганеши-Чатуртхи — это один из самых ярких индийских праздников, который организуется в честь дня рождения Ганеши. День проведения фестиваля ежегодно меняется в зависимости от лунного цикла. Как правило, он приходится на промежуток между 19 августа и 20 сентября.

Бог Ганеша считается помощником индийцев. Проведение фестиваля направлено на то, чтобы умилостивить божество. Празднование длится десять дней, но в отдельных регионах оно может продолжаться до двух недель. Начало фестиваля знаменуется собранием людей на самой большой площади населенного пункта. Как правило, в этом месте устанавливают много статуй Ганеши, которые могут быть как гигантскими, так и очень маленькими.

Вокруг скульптур собираются священнослужители и читают молитвы. Обычные люди приносят Ганеше дары — молоко, фрукты, кокосы, сладости. А вот сами верующие на протяжении праздника не могут есть эти продукты. Все это делается с целью установления тесной духовной связи с божеством, чтобы наладить жизнь и устранить преграды. По окончании фестиваля статуи Ганеши опускают в воду, чтобы помочь ему вернуться на небеса.

Вайсакхи

Среди индийских праздников и обрядов особое место занимает Вайсакхи — фестиваль урожая. Он проводится с 12 по 14 апреля и символизирует начало нового года. Праздник начинается ранним утром, пока солнце еще не взошло. Люди несут цветы в храмы, после чего совершают омовение в реке. После посещения места поклонения сикхов и религиозной встречи едят кара прасад. Это сладкая мука с маслом. В течение дня проходят праздничные шествия с участием сотен людей, наряженных в национальные одежды.

Немного иначе данный праздник отмечают в сельской местности. Люди покупают новую нарядную одежду, посещают праздничные ярмарки и концерты фольклорных ансамблей, а также готовят национальные блюда. Позже все выходят в поле, танцуют и громко кричат, поздравляя друг друга с наступлением Нового года.

Холи

Начало весны символизирует индийский праздник Холли. Он существовал еще в трехсотом году до нашей эры, о чем свидетельствуют записи в Ведах, Санскрите и на каменных плитах. Празднование проводится во время полнолуния месяца Пхалгуны (как правило, это конец февраля — начало марта). С происхождением праздника связано несколько легенд:

• Название индийского праздника Холи связано с именем Холики — сестры злого царя Хираньякашипу. Прахлада, сын царя, поклонялся богу Вишну, несмотря на протесты отца. Тогда демоница Холика уговорила племянника пройти через костер в знак поклонения Вишне. Ее как ведьму не должен был поразить огонь. Но ко всеобщему удивлению Прахлада вышел из костра невредимым (так как был спасен Вишной), а Холика сгорела дотла.

• В другой легенде Холика выступает в роли положительного персонажа. Она была сестрой злого царя, который получил в дар бессмертие. Холика поддержала своего племянника, который придерживался истинной веры. За это злой царь приказал сжечь сына и сестру на костре. В ответ на молитвы юноши боги прислали ему разноцветный шарф, спасающий от огня. Принц накрыл им Холику, но порывом ветра шарф сорвало и накинуло на юношу. Он выжил, а Холика сгорела. В качестве наказания боги ударили молнией в сердце злого царя.

Индийский праздник Холи широко празднуют по всей стране. К фестивалю начинают готовиться за несколько недель — красят стены домов в яркие цвета, развешивают разноцветные гирлянды и прочие украшения, декорируют помещения цветами. Также люди заранее закупают разноцветные краски и брызгалки для воды.

Примерно за две недели до основного праздника в деревнях начинают проходить малые фестивали, во время которых проводятся концерты и ритуальные игры. Также организуется сбор пожертвований на проведение основного торжества. Сам же индийский праздник красок проводится в три этапа:

• Вечером первого дня на костре сжигается огромное чучело Холики, после чего люди начинают ходить по углям.
• Второй и третий день — это шумное многолюдное шествие, в ходе которого люди обсыпают друг друга разноцветными порошками и обливают водой.

Сегодня индийский праздник красок распространен практически во всем мире. Конечно, люди не наделяют это действо религиозным смыслом, им просто нравится осыпать друг друга яркими порошками и наслаждаться весельем. Фестивали красок проводятся и на территории России. Стоит отметить, что организаторы праздника Холи сталкиваются с сопротивлением со стороны православных активистов.

Кришна-Джанмаштами

Праздник Кришна-Джанмаштами — это день явления Кришны, который отмечается в Индии очень широко. Его празднуют все, независимо от вероисповедания. Но учитывая многонациональность и мультикультурность страны, в каждом регионе он проводится по-разному.

В южных регионах страны Кришна-Джанмаштами является семейным праздником, который можно сравнить с европейским Рождеством. Ранним утром изваяние Кришны омывают и кладут в колыбель, производят обряд поклонения ему. Все родственники стараются собраться в одном доме, чтобы провести этот особенный день вместе.

В северных регионах Кришна-Джанмаштами — яркий и шумный праздник. В этих местах Кришна считается богом танца, а потому торжество сопровождается театрализованными представлениями, в которых особое место занимает танец юного Кришны при лунном свете. Празднование может продолжаться несколько дней.

В Махараштре данный праздник связан с обычаем дахи-ханди. Он подразумевает театрализованные постановки, иллюстрирующие шалости Кришны в детском возрасте. В глиняные горшки наливают йогурт и подвешивают их высоко под потолком. Дети сооружают из подручных предметов пирамиды, чтобы добраться до лакомства. Тем временем глава главного храма соблюдает пост и молится. На следующий день проводится праздничное шествие, которое заканчивается народными гуляниями.

Душера

12 октября отмечается индийский праздник Душера, который символизирует победу добра над злом, а именно победу Рамы (воплощения бога Вишну) над Раваной (царем демонов). Подготовка начинается еще за несколько недель до праздника. К месту проведения сносят каркасы фигур царя демонов и его свиты. Их обтягивают разноцветной бумагой, а внутрь кладут хлопушки.

Вечером 12 октября начинается шумный индийский праздник. К месту его проведения подтягиваются тысячи людей. Фигуры демонов поджигают, и населенные пункты озаряются пламенем костром, начинают оглушительно взрываться петарды и фейерверки. Яркость огня порой поражает. Так, пламя на центральной площади Дели, как правило, ярче десятков прожекторов. Люди веселятся, аплодируют и ждут, пока пламя полностью не поглотит фигуру Раваны. Пепел не убирают еще несколько дней в знак надежды на то, что злые силы покинули землю.

Также этот индийский праздник связан с почитанием богини Дурги. Именно ей Рама молился о победе над Раваной. Чтобы угодить богине добра, он собрал для нее 108 редких голубых лотосов. Дурга решила испытать Раму и спрятала один цветок. Поскольку даров должно было быть именно 108, он пожертвовал своим глазом. В благодарность богиня наделила его чудодейственной силой. В честь Дурги на площадях сооружают скульптуру, восседающую на льве. У изваяния десять рук, в каждой из которых по 10 видов оружия.

По всей стране индийский праздник Дусера (Душера) сопровождается театрализованными представлениями, воплощающими легенду о Раме. Актеры метают горящие стрелы в демонов, а публика радостно ликует. Дети радуются сладостям, которые в этот вечер раздают бесплатно.

Онам

Онам — это красочный индийский фестиваль, который проводится в штате Керала. Он посвящен сбору урожая и приходится на конец августа-начало сентября. Происхождение праздника связано с царем Махабали. Когда он правил Индией, поля приносили огромный урожай, а люди были богатыми и счастливыми. Народ почитал своего царя больше, чем богов. Даже когда бог Вишну обманул и низверг царя, люди не забыли любимого правителя и стали ежегодно почитать его.

В праздничный день индийцы богато украшают дома, выкладывают тропинки из цветочных лепестков, одеваются в национальные наряды и принимают участие в народных гуляниях. А вот фестиваль проводится с большим размахом и сопровождается такими обычаями:

• В первый день люди устраивают шествие слонов вдоль аллеи, декорированной красочными флагами и зажженными факелами. Позже проводится священный обед, состоящий из 13 различных блюд.

• Рядом с домом индийцы делают земляные насыпи, символизирующие Махабали и Вишну. Их украшают свежими цветами и распевают веселые песни.

• На протяжении фестиваля принято выкладывать цветочные ковры. Между рядами цветов расставляют яркие светильники. Активное участие в этом процессе принимают маленькие дети.

• В главный день фестиваля (Тирувонам) индийцы проводят тщательную уборку в домах, украшают дворы цветами и гирляндами и готовят вкусный обед. Самый старший член семьи дарит родным новую одежду.

• Пятый день фестиваля знаменуется гонками по реке и прочими соревнованиями.

• В период фестиваля в храмах горят светильники, а входы украшены пальмовыми столбами. Они сжигаются в последний день.

Наваратри

В переводе с санскрита индийский праздник Наваратри означает «девять ночей». Он длится десять дней и девять ночей, на протяжении которых чествуются женские божества (Шайлапутри, Брахмачарини, Чандрагханта, Кушманда, Скандамата, Катьяяни, Каларатри, Маха-Гаури, Сиддхидатри). В году есть пять разновидностей Наваратри, но главный индийский праздник приходится на осенний осенний месяц Ашвина (сентябрь-октябрь).

Праздник Наваратри проводится по-разному в разных регионах Индии. А именно:

• Жители Северной Индии выдерживают пост на протяжении девяти дней, а каждую ночь исполняется ритуальный танец.

• В Западной Бенгалии главный индийский праздник знаменуется установлением в храмах статуй богини Дурги. Их богато украшают и поклоняются им на протяжении пяти дней. На шестой день статуи опускают в реку.

• В Пенджабе на протяжении семи дней придерживаются поста. На восьмой день в дома приглашают маленьких девочек и поклоняются им подобно богиням — моют ноги, дарят украшения и предлагают угощения.

• В Махараштре в глиняный горшок высаживают зерна и растят их на протяжении девяти дней. Женщины поклоняются ему как божеству, украшая гирляндами цветов и принося подношения.

Триссур Пурам

Триссур Пурам, или фестиваль слонов — крупнейший национальный индийский праздник. Эти животные очень важны для жителей страны. Они распространены во всех регионах и являются верными спутниками и помощниками индийцев. Таким образом, праздник слонов является данью уважения и благодарности к этим гигантским животным. К тому же слон является олицетворением бога Ганеши, поэтому фестиваль имеет двойное значение. Посмотреть на это грандиозное действо съезжаются тысячи туристов со всего мира.

Праздник проводится в городе Триссуре и длится целых 36 часов. Он начинается рано утром с нескольких шествий, в которых принимает участие по 15 слонов. На спине главного животного в колонне устанавливается статуя бога Кришны, в другой колонне — статуя богини Деви. Каждый из храмов отправляет на фестиваль по 15 слонов, которые будут принимать участие в главном празднике.

Все группы украшенных животных собираются около главного храма и становятся друг напротив друга под гипнотическую музыку оркестра. На спине каждого слона сидит человек, вращающий шелковым зонтиком. Периодически мужчины становятся во весь рост, выполняя ритуальные движения в такт музыке. Слоны также принимают участие в танце — двигают ушами и хоботами.

Кульминация фестиваля происходит с наступлением темноты. В небо запускаются разноцветные фейерверки и яркие фонарики.

Махашиваратри

Махашиваратри, или Великая ночь Шивы — это один из основных праздников в Индии. Он является религиозным. Дата его проведения плавающая и зависит от лунного цикла. Как правило, он выпадает на февраль-март. Легенда гласит, что в эту ночь состоялась свадьба Шивы и Парвати. Именно в этот момент поклонение богу Шиве обладает наибольшей силой и энергией.

Накануне праздника верующие соблюдают строгий пост, медитируют и молятся. Ночью вся Индия наполняется звуками мантр, посвященных Шиве. Днем люди пьют напиток из молока, конопли и миндаля. Но этот обряд соблюдают не все. Его придерживаются только люди, которые посвятили жизнь служению Шиве и являются аскетами. Простой народ в этот праздник молится о семейном благополучии и процветании.

Немного об индийском кино

В поиске информации о праздниках наверняка вы наткнетесь на фильмы, в названиях которых присутствует это слово. Так, достаточно популярна картина «Роковой праздник». Индийский фильм 2000 года выпуска рассказывает о случае, когда от рук террористической группировки погиб парень — брат красавицы Рупы. Чудом выжившая девушка поклялась отомстить убийцам. Главная героиня индийского «Рокового праздника» понимает, что слабой девушке трудно справиться с бандитами, а потому нужно действовать хитростью. Познакомившись с добрым, романтичным и рассудительным парнем Кишаном, она решает во что бы то ни стало привлечь его к своей мести. Для этого девушка разыгрывает влюбленность. Что же из этого получится?

В 2011 году увидел свет «Праздник любви» — индийский фильм о шеф-поваре Майкле Велайудаме. Обаятельный человек обожает красивых девушек, но всячески избегает серьезных отношений и ответственности, ведь у него совсем другая мечта — работать на нью-йоркской фондовой бирже. Тем не менее взгляды Майкла на жизнь меняются, когда он влюбляется в красавицу Миру Шатри. Молодые люди наслаждались любовью, пока девушка не получила предложение о новой работе. Мире нужно уехать за границу, и влюбленные расстаются. Но это лишь начало увлекательной истории.

Заключение

Индия — удивительная страна. Здесь вопиющая нищета тесно соседствует с неимоверным богатством. Кого-то Индия пугает, кого-то поражает, кого-то приводит в недоумение, но оставаться к ней равнодушным просто невозможно. Несмотря на все тяготы, индийцы — это народ с жизнерадостным характером и богатой культурой, и это находит свое отражение в самобытных традициях и ярких праздниках. Красочные фестивали распространились по всему миру. Но истинные искатели необычного стремятся посетить настоящие праздники в самой Индии.

Если вы как заядлый путешественник планируете отправиться в Индию в период проведения национальных или религиозных праздников, вам следует знать, что в это время в крупные города съезжается много сельских жителей. Поэтому вам стоит заранее позаботиться о размещении и забронировать номер в гостинице.

Через несколько дней жители Индии отметят Дашахра – яркий и интересный праздник. Впрочем, почти все торжества, отмечаемые этим народом, отличаются буйством красок и богатством традиций.

А на что еще стоит посмотреть в Индии? Составим праздничный календарь вместе с Арриво.

Дашахра

13 октября

В этом году десятидневное празднование Дашахра начнется 13 октября. Этот торжественный фестиваль, наполненный танцами, цветами и молитвами, посвящен победе бога Рамы над демоном Раваной. По преданию, после восьми дней в молитвах бог одолел противника в бою и сумел вернуть свою похищенную супругу. Отмечает это событие каждый регион Индии по-своему, однако есть и общие черты.

Девять ночей по всей стране ведутся богослужения, а в последний день все жители города или деревни собираются на центральной площади и благодарят небесных покровителей песнями и танцами.

Дивали

3 ноября

Праздник Дивали, переводимый как «огненная гроздь», можно смело считать самым захватывающим и самым опасным в Индии. Миллионы горящих огней символизируют торжество света над тьмой и добра над злом. Создается впечатление, что в этот день (в этом году – 3 ноября) сияет вся Индия. Лампочки, свечи, петарды, фейерверки и костры озаряют страну ровно сутки. Удивительно то, что отмечают этот праздник и местные мусульмане.

Ярмарка верблюдов

7–13 ноября

С 7 по 13 ноября в Пушкаре проходит самый необычный в этой стране конкурс красоты. Главные его участники – наряженные и раскрашенные верблюды. Ярмарка, которая много веков считалась обычным торговым мероприятием, в последние годы стала полноценным фестивалем. Кстати, участие в конкурсах принимают не только «корабли пустыни», но и их владельцы. Погонщиков также оценивает компетентное жюри, выбирая обладателя самых необычных усов и самого большого тюрбана.

Впрочем, в Пушкаре есть на что посмотреть в эти дни и помимо верблюдов. Катание над пустыней Тар на воздушном шаре, авиашоу, цирк, выступления музыкантов и акробатов, а также многочисленные аттракционы никого не оставят равнодушным.

День Республики

26 января

Начиная с 1950 года в Индии празднуется День Республики. Этот государственный праздник проходит 26 января, и участие в нем принимают жители большинства населенных пунктов. Конечно, самый крупный парад проходит в Дели, но и в других городах есть чем полюбоваться. Как правило, все начинается с торжественного парада военных сил Индии. Затем следует выступление представителей правительства, а завершает все праздничное шествие самих жителей. Огромные платформы, украшенные цветами, лентами и фигурами национальных героев, движутся по главной улице города.

Впрочем, с наступлением вечера праздник не прекращается, а всего лишь переходит в следующую стадию. Всю ночь гремят фейерверки, а наутро открывается фестиваль народных танцев, музыки и театральных представлений, длящийся еще два дня.

Карнавал в Гоа

За 40 дней до Пасхи

Столкнувшись с португальской традицией устраивать карнавалы, жители Гоа решили, что они ничуть не хуже и организовали свое праздничное действо. Конечно, отдыхают они с душой, но тем, кто хоть раз видел полноценный европейский карнавал, этот покажется максимум милым. Смешные и странные люди, одетые в собственноручно изготовленные костюмы, движутся на уродливых повозках и радуются словно дети.

Длится это безумство три дня, и хотя официальная часть проходит в Панаджи, остальные деревушки Гоа также развлекаются как могут. Многочисленные фрики, живущие на побережье, мастера фаер-шоу и простые туристы веселятся, поют и танцуют трое суток напролет.

Путеводитель по Гоа

Холи

27 марта

В марте в Индии проходит праздник весны и тысячи красок – Холи. Изначально он был посвящен победе над злой богиней Холикой, но для многих сейчас стал просто отличным поводом повеселиться. Именно на Холи охотно едут иностранцы, скупая билеты и номера в отелях загодя.

С самого утра город находится на военном положении, ведь все его жители уже запаслись яркими красками и водометами. Облить или осыпать могут из-за любого угла, а то и вовсе с балкона. Став холстом для сотни красок, ближе к обеду участники боев приобретают ровный черно-синий оттенок и отправляются отмываться. После торжественного застолья все берут в руки лишь немного сухой краски, которой можно пометить лицо друга и пожелать ему Happy Holi.

Фестиваль Онам

16 сентября

Десять дней, начиная с 16 сентября, справляют в Керале праздник урожая. Фестиваль Онам посвящен не только плодородию земли, но и одному из древних правителей Индии – царю Махабали. Этот мудрый и богатый царь был избавлен богами от цикла бесконечных перерождений, то есть обрел высшее блаженство. Во время фестиваля Онам жители Кералы обещают быть добрыми, кроткими и во всем похожими на своего легендарного предшественника.

Красота же этого праздника заключается в том, что все десять дней в домах и у порогов жилищ расстелены гигантские ковры из живых цветов. Задача каждой семьи состоит в том, чтобы ковер всегда был свежим и благоухающим. Кроме этой красоты на фестивале можно увидеть слоновьи гонки, многочисленные спортивные соревнования, прокатиться на лодке, отведать местной праздничной кухни и насладиться танцами и музыкой, которая не смолкает все время торжества.

Фото: thinkstockphotos.com, flickr.com