Write about Holi.(300- 350) words.
Answers
Holi is known as the festival of colours. It is one of the most important festivals in India. Holi is celebrated each year with zeal and enthusiasm in the month of March by followers of the Hindu religion. Those who celebrate this festival, wait for it every year eagerly to play with colours and have delectable dishes.
Holi is about celebrating happiness with friends and family. People forget their troubles and indulge in this festival to celebrate brotherhood. In other words, we forget our enmities and get into the festival spirit. Holi is called the festival of colours because people play with colours and apply them to each other’s faces to get coloured in the essence of the festival.
The Hindu religion believes there was a devil king named Hiranyakashyap long ago. He had a son named Prahlad and a sister called Holika. It is believed that the devil king had blessings of Lord Brahma. This blessing meant no man, animal or weapon could kill him. This blessing turned into a curse for him as he became very arrogant. He ordered his kingdom to worship him instead of God, not sparing his own son.
The Hindu religion believes there was a devil king named Hiranyakashyap long ago. He had a son named Prahlad and a sister called Holika. It is believed that the devil king had blessings of Lord Brahma. This blessing meant no man, animal or weapon could kill him. This blessing turned into a curse for him as he became very arrogant. He ordered his kingdom to worship him instead of God, not sparing his own son.
Following this, all the people began worshipping him except for his son, Prahlad. Prahlad refused to worship his father instead of God as he was a true believer of Lord Vishnu. Upon seeing his disobedience, the devil king planned with his sister to kill Prahlad. He made her sit in the fire with his son on the lap, where Holika got burned and Prahlad came out safe. This indicated he was protected by his Lord because of his devotion. Thus, people started celebrating Holi as the victory of good over evil.
People celebrate Holi with utmost fervour and enthusiasm, especially in North India. One day before Holi, people conduct a ritual called ‘Holika Dahan’. In this ritual, people pile heaps of wood in public areas to burn. It symbolizes the burning of evil powers revising the story of Holika and King Hiranyakashyap. Furthermore, they gather around the Holika to seek blessings and offer their devotion to God.
The next day is probably the most colourful day in India. People get up in the morning and offer pooja to God. Then, they dress up in white clothes and play with colours. They splash water on one another. Children run around splashing water colours using water guns. Similarly, even the adults become children on this day. They rub colour on each other’s faces and immerse themselves in water.
In the evening, they bathe and dress up nicely to visit their friends and family. They dance throughout the day and drink a special drink called the ‘bhaang’. People of all ages relish holi’s special delicacy ‘gujiya’ ardently.
In short, Holi spreads love and brotherhood. It brings harmony and happiness in the country. Holi symbolizes the triumph of good over evil. This colourful festival unites people and removes all sorts of negativity from life.
Answer:
As a country of numerous cultures, ethnicities and faiths, India celebrates countless festivals in its calendar throughout the year. Among the most largely known festivals, we find Holi – in simple terms the celebration of colors but as we dive a little deeper, Holi seems to bring with it a plethora of meanings and historical, cultural and traditional significance.
Holi, to some people, is the festival of love shared by Radha and Krishna – a form of love that needs no specific name, form or shape. To others, it is a story of how the good in us always emerges victorious over the evil. While for many others, Holi is an opportunity of fun, frolic, forgiveness and compassion. Spread over three days, the Holi rituals begin with the destruction of evil symbolized by a bonfire on the first day and celebration with colors, prayers, music, dance and blessings on the other two days. The primary colors used represent various emotions and elements like blue for Lord Krishna, red for fertility and love and green for new beginnings.
The festival of Holi finds a place not only in our real life but also in art, media and music as various songs, movies and shows mention Holi with diverse forms and references. More often than not, people embrace this occasion to wipe memories of hurt and anguish and replace them with brotherhood, kindness and enjoyment. People across the barriers of age, generations, caste and creed become a part of the celebrations in all their colors.
In recent times, the spirit of Holi has lost its charm due to the excessive use of intoxication, artificial and potentially harmful color and other irresponsible incidents. It is, thus, necessary to keep the “fun” alive but also preserve the festival for what it signifies – love, happiness and the sustenance of good over evil!