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Holi
- Region-wise Celebrations
Don't sulk, put your work to rest for a little while, and get in the mood to enjoy till limitless limits. For, the crazy festival of Holi is here, bringing along with it loads of rejoicing, fun days and the most important of all, days full of bright colors, which, without fail would add a colorful tinge to your life too.
This festival of colors, Holi, is celebrated in India with great pomp and vigor. "Unity in Diversity"-this is what India is known for. Needless to say, every state celebrates this festival in their own unique style. You would actually have to see it to believe because words would not match the grandeur of the celebrations however much tried.
Holi is especially significant in Mathura, being the birthplace of Krishna. Holi celebrations solemnize the love of Radha and Krishna and the spraying of colored water brings to mind the love sport of the Gopikas and Lord Krishna. The charm of this festival, as felt in Mathura and Vrindavan are beyond comparison. Here, each temple celebrates Holi on a different day and as such, the festival lasts for as long as a week. Lord Krishna is said to have spent most of his childhood days here. Krishna's soul mate Radha belonged to a small village called Barsana and Krishna hailed form Nandagaon. So on this occasion of Holi, the men folk from Nandagaon would visit Barsana to play Holi with the young maidens there to keep alive the tradition started by Lord Krishna in his days of youth. They would smother them with colored water (called gulal) and colored powders (called abeer). The maidens, in turn, would beat them with sticks to scurry them away in a mock-anger. Nowadays, a bonfire is lighted on the eve of Holi to celebrate the harvest. People joyously dance and sing around the bonfire. New seeds are roasted and shared and eaten by all.
In Haryana, Holi is celebrated in a very spectacular way. But needless to say, the spirits are the same. Here, the bride of the family challenges her brother-in-law to break a pot of buttermilk, which is hung up very high. Forming a human pyramid, and after several attempts, the brothers-in-law finally reach up to the pot and break it. The cheers of the people and their excitement have no limits.
In Punjab, Holi is celebrated by the Sikh community with feasting and merriment and is called Hola Mohalla. One popular tradition is holding wrestling matches that are watched and cheered on by large crowds.
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