Holi - from its mythological past to its present. The festival of Holi actually starts the night before with a bonfire made up of all the dried leaves and branches left through the winter. It is a way of clearing these and making way for spring. Metaphorically though, the fire is meant to signify the destruction of evil - the burning of the Holika' - a mythological character. The heat from the fire is also a reminder that winter is behind and that the hot summer days are ahead.
Holi Colors will fill the environment as people throw abeer and gulal in the air showing great joy and mirth in the arrival of this Spring Festival.
Holi marks the end of the winter gloom and rejoices in the bloom of the spring time. It is the best time and season to celebrate; Holi provides this opportunity and people take every advantage of it.
One Days before Holi, the markets get flooded with the colors of every hues. This aptly sets the mood of the people till the actual day of Holi. It is such a colorful and joyous sight to watch huge piles of bright red, magenta, Pink, green and blue every where on the streets. Buying those colors seems as you are bringing joys and color to your home and into your life.
Children take special pleasure in the celebration and demand every color in loads. They have so many plans in their mind. They have to be the first to apply color to Mama, Papa, siblings and a big bunch of friends in their colony. Nobody could miss being colored by them and of course, they need color for that.
These days it is easy to buy colors from the market but still some people do take up the task of making colors at home, usually from flowers of tesu and palash. These home made colors, have a special fragrance of love in them.
The other option is to buy gulal which comes in bright shades of pink, magenta, red, yellow and green. 'Abeer' is made of small crystals or paper like chips of mica. This is mixed with the gulal for a rich shine. Mischievous ones, however, go for silver and gold paints on which no color could be applied.
Whatever be the choice of color, nobody remains in their original texture at the end of the play. And everybody takes delight looking at the other. Really, the other name of the festival is FUN.
And, it is not just children, but the young and the old alike who take delight in this joyous festival of colors. Seniors too, move in their tolis. Their enthusiasm is at times greater than that of their children as they forget the bars of age and follow their hearts. To youth, holi gives a chance to explore the heights of their enthusiasm as they climb the human pyramids to break the pot of buttermilk and to express their love to their beloved by applying color.
For, Holi knows no bars, everybody feels it is their right to enjoy and enjoy they do. Songs, dance, drinks, Foods everything goes in excess when it is time for Holi. It can be said, "Life turns Colorful" when it is time for Holi.
