Holi 2016 : Celebrate Holi

Holi or Holikotsava is a festival that occurs around March and is celebrated over two days. On the evening of the first day bonfires are lit, normally in a public place. On the second day people throw coloured powder and water at each other. The first day is Holi proper, the second day is called Dhuleti or Rangapanchami (Ranga-colour, Panchami=fifth day). Rangapanchami was originally the fifth day as the festival was earlier spread over five days and so it was called Rangapanchami because in earlier times it was celebrated till the fifth day of the fortnight.

Holi is one of the few festivals that has yet to acquire the character of being a religious and private festival along with being a public occasion for rejoicing which all festivals are. Holi is almost totally a public festival and as such there is hardly any Holi celebrations inside private homes in the sense in which is understood. Holi is not only a purely public festival in the manner of its celebration but also in the manner in which people prepare for it.

Weeks before the arrival of Holi, gangs comb the neighbourhood and collect all waste-wood, old wooden furniture etc. which they can lay their hands upon. After weeks of preparation judiciously combined with activities that come close to pillaging, assorted pieces of wood are piled up to be lit on the evening of the festival day. (These days with Cable TV, the interest of the boys in urban India seems to be waning in the pre-holi preparations). 

Sexual License during Holi

The lighting takes place late in the night between 10 P.M. and 12 P.M. Very rarely is this ceremony conducted in an orderly manner. Except when the ceremony is taking place in a temple, gesticulation, howling, catcalls and trading of abuses is a part of Holi. All this is obviously reminiscent of attitudes originating in a backward cultural environment. But even against this background, the aspect that stands out is the sexual license that the mobs exercise. A display of loose morals, a morbid rejoicing with contempt for all laws and norms of behaviour that are considered civilized by present-day standards - what does this reflect?

How is it that even those sections of society that are educated and cultured allow themselves to bo carried away by the wild outburst associated with this festival? Why is it that this has been the nature of Holi for centuries together?

The lighting takes place late in the night between 10 P.M. and 12 P.M. Very rarely is this ceremony conducted in an orderly manner. Except when the ceremony is taking place in a temple, gesticulation, howling, catcalls and trading of abuses is a part of Holi. All this is obviously reminiscent of attitudes originating in a backward cultural environment. But even against this background, the aspect that stands out is the sexual license that the mobs exercise. A display of loose morals, a morbid rejoicing with contempt for all laws and norms of behaviour that are considered civilized by present-day standards - what does this reflect?

How is it that even those sections of society that are educated and cultured allow themselves to bo carried away by the wild outburst associated with this festival? Why is it that this has been the nature of Holi for centuries together?


These questions sound quite provocative to an average Indian mind. To answer them we need to look beyond what is visible and evident as there is more to it than meets the eye during Holi celebrations. As already mentioned, Holi does not have much of a private or individual character, it is almost entirely a public festival. But does it at least have any religious significance? A hard look proves otherwise. Holi is not dedicated to any deity from the Hindu pantheon, as are other festivals like, Mahashivaratri, Ramanavami, Krishnastami, etc. And although mythology does involve Shiva and Madana ( the God of love) with Holi, the religious significance is not immanent as in the case of other festivals. It is for this reason that very few religious rites are associated with Holi and almost none of them are generally observed. 

Festivals displaying features similar to Holi can be found in many modern societies. Carnival and Guy Fawkes Day are two instances. The Guy Fawkes Day which is observed in Britain on the 5th of November commemorates the discovery of Gunpowder and is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires.

The Carnival which is another instance of a similar festival is celebrated in Portugal and Spain. Carnival is an occasion for revelry. Carnival that is celebrated before the beginning of Lent - the beginning of the austerity period that goes up to Good Friday and Easter. The term carnival being close to terms like carnal (meaning sensual or bodily), carnage, carnivore, carnivorous is itself quite suggestive of the origin of carnival in a less civilized environment. Recently in India the Roman Catholic Church of Goa has refused to extend religious sanction to carnival, but this has not succeeded in abating the tide of public enthusiasm. This is one instance of how a popular festival which owes it origin to a lifestyle (existing or extinct) can continue in face of withdrawal of religious sanction.

The on-goings during Holi celebrations closely resemble life in a nomadic tribal society especially in the wintry regions. The festival revolves around a bonfire. It is observed in the winter. These two aspects are eloquent as to the festival's social origin. Fire, we know was one of the earliest tool used to ward off the freezing cold of the long winters in the northern hemisphere. Even today among the poorest sections of society, the lighting of fire made of waste-wood is the cheapest and affordable form of keeping oneself warm during the long wintry nights.

Although no offence is meant, we cannot help saying that the tradition of mobocracy and sexual license reflects in a telling manner an attitude typical of tribal people living in a harsh environment in a society where the institution of monogamous marriage had not developed fully. 

But such elements in a festival are not specific to India. Festivals displaying features similar to Holi can be found in many modern societies. Carnival and Guy Fawkes Day are two instances. The Guy Fawkes Day which is observed in Britain on the 5th of November commemorates the discovery of Gunpowder and is celebrated with fireworks and bonfires.

The Carnival which is another instance of a similar festival is celebrated in Portugal and Spain. Carnival is an occasion for revelry. Carnival that is celebrated before the beginning of Lent - the beginning of the austerity period that goes up to Good Friday and Easter. The term carnival being close to terms like carnal (meaning sensual or bodily), carnage, carnivore, carnivorous is itself quite suggestive of the origin of carnival in a less civilized environment. Recently in India the Roman Catholic Church of Goa has refused to extend religious sanction to carnival, but this has not succeeded in abating the tide of public enthusiasm. This is one instance of how a popular festival which owes it origin to a lifestyle (existing or extinct) can continue in face of withdrawal of religious sanction. 

For that matter, a formal religious sanction does exist in the case of most festivals. For instance, it is said that Holi commemorates an event in lord Shiva's life. In mythology Shiva is portrayed as having a meditative but violent temperament. For hours together he is said to meditate in his icy abode atop mount Kailas in the Himalayas. Solitude and serenity are essential for him. Looking at Shiva's abnormal trait, Madana, the God of love decided to see for himself if Shiva was, in fact, above normal passions. To do this he took on the form of a beautiful nymph and tried to disturb Shiva's meditation by singing and dancing in front of him. Unfortunately for Madana, he succeeded in disturbing Shiva's meditation, and when Shiva opened his eyes and recognised the beautiful nymph as Madana in disguise, he was furious. In a fit of rage he opened his third eye located on his forehead, that could emit fire and reduced the guileful Madana to ashes. Holi we are told is observed in memory of this event. 

How to celebrate the Festival of Colours in India

'Holi' by zosogis. Creative Commons Attribution

This is an excerpt from Lonely Planet's A Year of Festivals.
Location: Throughout northern India and Nepal
Dates: Three days around the March full moon
Level of participation: 5 – prepare to dust and be dusted

The most boisterous of Hindu festivals, Holi waves goodbye to winter and welcomes in spring in a rainbow of colours. In India it’s predominantly celebrated in the north of the country, and is quite rightly known as the Festival of Colours for the raucous events on Holi’s final day, when children and adults take to the streets throwing colourful gulal (powder) over each other. Dyed water is shot from syringes, thrown from buckets and poured into balloons, which are then tossed at people. It’s sanctioned anarchy and, as a visitor, you’ll be a particular target so expect to finish the day looking like gulab jamun (a red, sticky Indian sweet). Authorities urge the use of natural dyes, so they can be easily cleaned off, but you could be a mobile colour chart for days or weeks after. Though it runs for three days, Holi is mostly condensed into this final mad day. The night before, huge bonfires are lit at major crossroads in towns and cities and  effigies of the demon Holika are burned to symbolise the triumph of good over evil. Whether you think good or evil comes up trumps the next day might depend just how much gulal ends up being thrown your way. There are many places to witness huge Holi celebrations. In Udaipur, the royal family hosts an elaborate function at the City Palace, while the Uttar Pradesh towns of Mathura, Nandgaon, Vridavan and Barsana are linked with the birth and childhood of Krishna, giving them special Holi significance In Nepal, the festival is also known as Fagu and is a muted mix of India’s Holi and Thailand’s Songkran. Falling late in Nepal’s dry season, at a time when the country is heating up, water is sprayed about as a reminder of the cooling monsoon days to come. As in India, coloured powder and water (particularly red) is also dispensed, and again foreigners will get special attention. Holi’s origins are little known but references to it have dated back to around the 3rd century BC.

Essentials: If you want a colourless Holi, you’d best stay inside for the day. If not, wear old clothes that you don’t mind getting colour-stained. During Holi there’s a tradition of guzzling alcohol and consuming cannabis-derived bhang. Female visitors have been groped by spaced-out blokes, particularly in touristy areas, and officials advise women to avoid venturing out alone during Holi. Tickets for the royal function in Udaipur can be obtained at the Shiv Niwas Palace Hotel.

Local attractions: In Mathura’s Kesava Deo Temple you can view the stone slab on which Krishna is said to have been born around 3500 years ago. Udaipur is one of India’s most romantic cities, gleaming with marble palaces and blue lakes. In Nepal’s capital Kathmandu, relive the Hippy Trail on so-called Freak Street.