Holi, the color festival of India From the date to the venue

You may not be familiar with many countries and their people's customs, but I am sure that everyone knows India with the festival of colors. India's color festival It is considered to be one of the most important festivals that not only the people of India, but in some way it has connected with all the people of the world. Even so that many tourists travel to India just to see this festival. A celebration in which all people, far from gender and nationality, become one and happiness fills the place of all sadness. Holi Festival is a celebration of color, light and love. In the continuation of this article from Flytoday tourism magazine Get to know a little more about this Indian festival.

What is the Indian color festival or Holi festival?

Holi festival or the festival of colors is one of them The best festivals of India It is celebrated every year at the beginning of the spring season in most parts of India. Holi festival is sometimes called the festival of love, because on this day all people become one and forget all the annoyances and get rid of negative feelings. This wonderful celebration lasts one to two days and nights.

Holi is celebrated on the evening of Purnima (the full moon night in the eleventh Bengali month of Phalgun). In the evening of the festival, this celebration is called Hawalika Dahan or Chhoti Holi and in the rest of the day it is called Holi. Holika Dahan is actually the burning of the devil in ancient Indian culture, and the people of India celebrate the victory of good over evil and light over darkness during the Holi festival. Of course, it is known by different names in different parts of India.

According to the people of India, the elegance and beauty of the colors in the Holi festival sprinkles all the positive energies of these colors into their lives and that is why this day is worth rejoicing. The way of celebrating Holi has been passed down from generation to generation to the people of India and all people have preserved this heritage. Holi is the celebration of the victory of good over evil.

How to celebrate Holi?

If you travel to this country on the date of the color festival, in addition to visiting Sights of India You can also enjoy this celebration. Holi is a famous and popular Hindu festival that is celebrated by the people of India in all parts of India and all over the world. The festival starts with a big bonfire the day before Holi, lighting the bonfire is actually a symbol of the victory of good over evil.

On the day of Holi, people sprinkle special powder colors, which are sometimes made from flower pollen, on their family and friends, and in the evening, they show their love and respect by sprinkling Abir (Holi colors, which are usually pink) and applying colors to each other's faces. They give it to their loved ones.

As mentioned, Holi lasts for 2 days, Hindus usually go to welcome Holi in the days before Holi to prepare food and accessories. Holi in India has similarities with Nowruz in Iran, because at the beginning of spring, this celebration begins and many people clean their houses and renew their belongings. The festival of colors in India is very important for people and sometimes even a week earlier, people start their color game ceremony.

A night before Holi, people in public places build fire by the younger ones and go around it, this event is also known as Little Holi. At the end of this ceremony, some Hindus take a piece of fire home with them and believe that by doing this, their homes and existence will be cleansed of pollution.

Original game color

The second day of the real Holi is the same event that tourists know as the Festival of Colors. This event is also known as Rangwali Holi or Dhuleti. On this day, the real color game begins; Although color games were held before this, but on the second day of Holi, the color game has a different passion and excitement. Everyone with a paint bucket in hand is excitedly trying to paint others.

Of course, the interesting things about the Holi celebration are its special drinks. If your tour of India coincides with this festival, be aware of the food offered to you. Some people by consuming a type of processed marijuana called bhang (Bhang) give an artificial color to their happiness. This food is mostly served with a type of drink called Thandai.thandai) is consumed or served in the form of food called pakora. So take care of the foods that you can taste the true joy of this celebration and in Travel to India You should pay attention to these points.

History of Holi and the Festival of Colors

As mentioned, Holi is an ancient Indian festival originally known as Holika. Some historians believe that at first All Aryans, including IraniansThey used to celebrate Holi, but later it became only for Indian people.

It is said that the Holi celebration was celebrated before Christianity, although it is believed that the meaning and concept of Holi was different at the beginning and in fact it was a ritual for the happiness and well-being of women in the family and the worship of the full moon. But this celebration later found another meaning and was celebrated with the hope of abundant harvest and fertility of agricultural lands in early spring.

Today, the beliefs and stories of the Holi festival are to commemorate the legend of one of the Hindu mythology. The story goes that in ancient India, a king named Hiranyakashipu, because of his son Prahlada's loyalty and strong belief in Vishnu (the second god of the Hindus) and his worship, tried to kill him several times, but failed every time.

Finally, one day the king's sister Holika, who was spared from burning in the fire, asks Prahlada to sit in the fire with her. Prahlada prays to Vishnu for help before going into the fire. When Prahlada sits in the fire he is unharmed, while Holika is burnt and destroyed in the fire. Today's Holi is a reminder of this legend and the fire that is lit on this day is a symbol of burning the devil and darkness.

This story might remind you of the story of Siavash passing through the fire or even the story of Prophet Ibrahim! In fact, one of the interesting things about Holi is this. Perhaps it is because of these similarities that the ownership of this celebration cannot be accurately attributed to one nationality. But whatever it is, the whole world knows India with the festival of colors and this ceremony is considered one of the most important festivals of the Indian people.

How do they celebrate Holi?

Holi is a colorful spectacle accompanied by the singing of folk songs and traditional Indian dances. These days, Holi is an excuse for young Indians to break all the class and social differences that are very common among Hindus by holding an exciting and interesting celebration for one day, regardless of age, sex, status and social class. It has created a big gap among the Hindus, to rejoice and come closer together. On this day, rich and poor, men and women, old and young participate in this happy ritual.

It is said that the tradition of splashing water and bright colors on each other during the Holi celebration originates from a love affair between two Hindu gods – Radha and Krishna. Krishna's skin is blue in Indian mythology, and he was upset that his skin color was not the same as Radha's.

Krishna talks to his mother about this and she suggests to her son that instead of wishing for Radha's skin, he should dye Radha's skin so that they both have colored skin. Therefore, the tradition of painting other people's faces on Holi is a sign of expressing love for them.

Each color of Holi symbolizes something:

• Blue represents Krishna
• Red color symbolizes love and fertility
• Green is a sign of spring and regrowth
• The yellow color is a symbol of turmeric, which is considered a medicinal medicine among Indians.

After the color game is over, some people stay in the city to clean up the remaining traces of colors, but others go to their homes to bathe and prepare for the post-Holi sight-seeing ceremony. In the evening of the last day of Hol festival, Hindus usually gather in relatives' houses and celebrate the end of two days of color and happiness together. Tourists return to the hotel after the celebration and spend time with their companions. So don't forget to book a good quality hotel.

Where is Holi celebrated?

When you travel to India, you must consider taking yourself to this festival. But maybe it is interesting for you to know that this celebration is celebrated in other countries besides India? Holi is celebrated in all countries of the Indian subcontinent. Regions like Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh in India and countries like Pakistan, Nepal, Suriname, USA and many other countries celebrate Holi.

Holi celebration date in 2024

This celebration is held every year at the beginning of the spring season in India and in the full month of March. The date of India Color Festival 2024 coincides with March 25 means Monday, April 6, 1403 Will be held. If you plan to buy a tour of India and travel to the land of happiness, pay attention to these dates.

Dance of colors in the streets of India!

If you have read travel guides to India such as Agra, you know that India is a land of wonders, a land filled with color, peace, light, and love, although there are slum dwellers living next to the big palaces and class differences. It is visible, but these people are always ready to rejoice. The festival of Holi or the festival of colors in India is one of the most important festivals of this country, which is a symbol of happiness and fun in an exciting day not only for Hindus but also for many tourists. You can with Buying plane tickets Or invite your India tour to one of the most exciting festivals in the world.

Have you had the experience of participating in this popular Indian festival? If so, share with our readers.

Frequently asked questions about Holi in India