Holi Meaning| Holi Festival of Colors | Social | Cultural Significance

Holi Means:

Holi Means

Holi means is a Hindu spring festival, initiate from the Indian subcontinent, celebrated preponderantly in India, but has as well spread to other areas of Asia and parts of the Western Globe through the diaspora from the Indian subcontinent, also known as the festival of colors.

The significance of Holi:

In spite of beingness such a colorful and gay festival, there are several aspects of Holi which makes it so significant for our lives. Though they might not be so apparent a closer look and a little thought will reveal the significance of Holi in more ways than meets the eyes. Ranging from socio-cultural, religious to biological there is every reason out why we must heartily enjoy the festival and cherish the reasons for its celebrations.

So when, its time for Holi, please don't hold yourself back and enjoy the festival to the hilt by participating with full enthusiasm in every small tradition related to the festival.

Significance of Holi

Mythological Significance:

Holi gets us close to our faith and our mythology as it is basically the celebration of various legends associated with the festival.

Foremost is the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakshyap. The legend avers once there lived a devil and strong king, Hiranyakshyap who considered himself a God and wanted to everybody to idolize him. To his great anger, his son, Prahlad began to worship, God Vishnu. To get disembarrass of his son, Hiranyakshyap asked his Sis., Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap covering, as she had a boon to enter fire unhurt. Legend has it that Prahlad was saved for his uttermost veneration for the lord while Holika paid a price for her sinister desire. The tradition of burning Holika or the 'Holika Dahan' comes primarily from this legend.

Holi as well celebrates the legend of Radha and Krishna which describes the uttermost delight, Krishna took in applying color on Radha. This antic of Krishna later became a tendency and a part of the Holi festivities.

Mythology also states that Holi is the celebration of the death of Ogress Pootana who tried to kill the infant, Krishna by feeding poisonous milk to it.

Some other legend of Holi which is extremely popular in Southern India is that of Lord Shiva and Kaamadeva. According to the legend, citizenry in south celebrates the sacrifice of Lord of Passion Kaamadeva who risked his life to overturn Lord Shiva from meditation and save the world.

Also, famous is the legend of female Ogre Dhundhi who used to troubled children in the kingdom of Raghu and was ultimately chased away by the pranks of the children on the day of Holi. Viewing their belief in the legend, children until date plays pranks and hurl abuses at the time of Holika Dahan.

Cultural Significance:

Cultural Significance

The celebration of the several legends associated with Holi reassure the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of well over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that utmost devotion to god pays as god always takes his true devotee in his shelter.

All these legends help people to follow good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truthful. It is extremely important in the mod day society when so many people resort to evil practices for small gains and torture one who is honest. Holi helps the people to believe in the virtue of being truthful and honorable and also to battle away from the evil.

In any case, Holi is celebrated at a time of the year when the fields are in full bloom and citizens are expecting a good harvest. This gives a people a good reason to jubilate, make merry and submerge themselves in the spirit up of Holi.

Social Significance:

Social Significance 

Holi helps to bring the society unitedly and strengthen the secular fabric of our country. For, the event is celebrated by non-Hindus also everybody like to be a part of such a colorful and joyous festival.

Also, the tradition of the Holi is that even the enemies turn friends on Holi and forget any feeling of hardship that may be present. On this day citizen do not differentiate between the rich and poor and everybody celebrate the festival together with a spirit of bonhomie and brotherhood.

In the evening people visit friends and relatives and exchange gifts, sweets, and salutation. This helps in revitalize relations and strengthening emotional bonds between people.