Like most other Hindu festivals, Holi comes with the preaching of inevitable victory of good over evil – the one we learn from the destruction of Hrinyakashyap and the victory of Prahalad’s piousness.
There are atheists, who do not believe in legends, and there are agnostics who don’t care if you believe. Nevertheless, till these folklores assist in holding the true norms of the society in place, and distinguish the right from the wrong, I see no trouble in beliefs.
So yes, Holi representscolors, enthusiasm, fun, and relaxation! People celebrate their friendship. People go out and socialize away from their otherwise machinated lifestyle. They bow down to Gods and put colors on their parents’ feet. It’s a festival to uphold respect, tradition and unity.
More so, India, the distinguished land, as it is called – the land of diversity, represents the colors in their true form. The Holi celebration itself presents itself in varied colours. From the ‘Lath maar’ Holi of Barsana, to the ‘No Holi without bhaang’ of Bhojpuri; from the ‘Dol purnima’ in Bengal to the ‘RangPanchmi’ in Maharashtra, we are witness to our vivid culture of more than 32 lac sq. kms land.
We hear enough instances of foreigners visiting our rich land for the purpose of zeal, camaraderie, and peace. We also hear stories about them specially coming to India during the time of Holi to lay hands on sweet fuddle, in the form of bhang, that’s usually not found in their countries, full of bitter wines! All in all, not only us, but they have the best times of their lives being a part of the great festivities and enthusiasm in our festival.
Right from the aroma from the kitchen to the laughs on the streets; or from the scared voices of ladies to the beat of drums in the neighbor’s house, all of it makes us be a part of the celebration. Be it coming of the family together, a day before to prepare for the dishes, to serving the guests and meeting new people, enthrals us with pleasure.
Albeit, there are many concerns about the quality of colors, the hazards to the environment – but they can all be taken care of by the careful use of colors and dry Holi initiatives. There are organic colors, green colors available in the markets today that can be used for celebrations. As responsible adults of age, it’s in our hands to preserve our character and our culture for the times to come.
Lastly, all we’d say is:
It’s a time to feast, an opportunity to ravish, and a day to cherish….!
