Ganesha Special Hindu Mythological Information Site Of Pictures,Online Worship Of Gods,Saints,Greeting-Cards & Audio
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Ganesha Special Hindu Mythological Information Site Of Pictures,Online Worship Of Gods,Saints,Greeting-Cards & Audio |
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Holi Festival
Holi ,also known as Dhulandi or Dhulendi,is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalgun (February/March).Holi is also called as Spring Festival,Basant Utsav and Vasant Utsav.The month of Phalgun ushers India in Spring when seeds sprout, flowers bloom and the country rises from winter's slumber.Holi,is basically celebrated in the countries like India,Nepal and Sri.Lanka.It is also celebrated in UK,USA,Mauritius and Trinidada.In west Bengal and Orissa this festival is called as 'Dol Yatra'. 'Holi' comes from the word 'hola', which means offering oblation or prayer to the Almighty as showing gratitude for giving rich harvest. Holi is celebrated every year to remind people that those who love God shall be saved and they who torture the devotee of God shall be reduced to ashes a la the mythical character Holika. The festival of Holi is a celebration of the Colors of Unity & Brotherhood.It is an opportunity to forget all differences and indulge in fun and enjoyment.It has traditionally been celebrated in high spirit without any distinction of cast, creed, color, race, status or sex.It is one occasion when sprinkling colored powder (abheer and gulal) or colored water on each other,changes the outlook completely, so that everyone looks the same and the feeling of brotherhood is created. However the Holi festival is celebrated
the most in the Braj localities ie the regions connected to the God
Krishna,such as Mathura,Nandgaon,Vrindavan etc.Here the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi) in
commemoration of the divine love of Radha-Krishna.This festival has
also the connection of Lord Krishna's mischivous tricks on the 'Gopis'.Krishna
had complained to his mother,Yeshodamaiyya,regarding the
color contrast between him and Radha.So, Krishna's mother
decided to apply colour to Radha's face.Thus,the celebrations enjoyed in
the spring season,is the celebrated season of love. On the prior day of Holi,a ritual called Holika Dahan(bonfire) is observed.For this since seven days before the people start collecting dry wood articles etc. and arrange the wood pieces,also dry branhes of trees in a pit,dug in the premises of colonies.It is then bound by a thread and coconuts are put inside the pit. Later a priest starts the puja by seating in front of the Holi pit.All the people of the colonies gather to add to the worship.Later,after the pooja rituals and mantra are completed,the wooden material with the tree branches are lit with a fire source.this is called Holika Dahan. Sweets are distibuted to the people present and they wish each other by giving the compliments of the festival and season.Coconuts put in the Holi are taken out and the sacred water is disytributed to all as 'Prasad'.It is also practised at many places to shout offensive words in front of the flaming Holi so as to burn out all the anger and offensive words. Till the Holi is burning,the people sing devotional songs and also perform tradional dances in groups.In some places various field games such as 'Aatya Paatya',Kho Kho,Kabaddi etc.are played through out the night and from the next day morning the festval of colors,called 'Rangpanchami' is begun. A big tank is filled with water and different colors are mixed in to it.People gather there with their pupms(Pichkaris),suck the colored water and spray on the faces and clothes of each other.Different colorful dry powdres called 'Gulal' and 'Abheer' are also applied on the facees of each other.In the places where there are 'Braj' localities,the women hit the men with wooden sticks(lathi),which is a traditional game celebrated in large numbers.
Legend Legend says - after a long penace,Hiranyakashipu the king of demons was granted a boon by Brahma, that he can neither be killed during day or night,nor inside the home or outside, not on earth or on sky, neither by a man nor an animal, neither by astra nor by shastra.On getting the boon he became rude and attacked the Heavens and the Earth.He commanded that people should not worship the gods and start praying to him. Hiranyakashipu's son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. In spite of threats from father, Prahlad continued worshipping Lord Vishnu. He was poisoned but the poison turned to nectar.He was put in a room with poisonous snakes,but still survived.All the attempts to kill him did not work at all. Finally, he ordered son Prahlad to sit on a pyre on the lap of his sister,named Holika,who was protected from the fire by virtue of a shawl which would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. Prahlad obeyed his father's orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as the shawl flew away from Holika,killing her to death,while Prahlad was very safe and survived unharmed,because the shawl flew on to him and covered him.The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi. Radha-Krishna playing Holi-Ranga Panchami
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