The beautiful full moon day of March is about to arrive when Holi-the festival of colors- will be celebrated. Irrespective of status, caste, creed, gender, age, or race, people will break all the barriers, come together & smear colors on each other. The lovely festival awakens a sense of brotherhood and belongingness in the society that strengthens the unity in the diversity of our country. This year, however, since the situation is different on account of covid-19 restrictions, adhere to stipulated guidelines and play Holi keeping in mind your and your loved ones’ safety.
Holi is a festival of great social significance. The colorful festival makes everyone equal. In Holi, people forget their animosity, become friends, and start a new beginning of life- a life that is fresh, clean, and happy. Holi reminds mankind to believe in the virtue of being innocent, honest, and joyful and to fight away the evil from life. The Legend of Prahlad and Holika is associated with the festival that explains nicely how bad intentions lead to complete destruction.
Moreover, different regions in our country have different sentimentalities attached to this auspicious day. Various other legends associated with Holi reassure mankind of the ultimate power of truth. So, apart from the Prahlad episode, some other legends associated with Holi are- Lord Shiva’s killing of Kamadeva, the fascinating tale of the ogress Dhundhi and also Lord Krishna’s legend related to His Divine Dance for the benefit of devout Gopis.
In most of these tales, virtue defeats evilness and Holi is a celebration that follows. So, a day before Holi, you should clean your whole house and do away with clutter. It will render your homes pure and free from any negative energy. On the second day, pull on a canvas of vibrant colors and enjoy.
And do remember, Holi is the day to forget and forgive and so don’t let dislike for others hinder the mood of festivity.
The festival of Holi marks the onset of the charming season, spring. The season is the epitome of harmony and natural beauty. Let it remain the essence of Holi as well. Try not to drift away from the real values that Holi stands for. Do not harm others in the name of festivity and most importantly, stay away from artificial colours. Your festival must be in sync with nature, as it is supposed to be. Say no to synthetic colors as they contain toxic elements that may cause skin ailments including allergy.
You may prepare colours from natural ingredients like flowers, turmeric, Henna, and all, that have medicinal properties as well. You may prepare bright yellow colour by mixing turmeric with chickpea flour and for getting pink, you can soak beetroot in water. There are many ways to use natural ingredients to prepare the desired colours. Use your creativity and do that.
Most importantly, remain alert amid a reappearance in coronavirus cases, and take precautions during the festival.
Happy Holi!