This week marked the beginning of the Indian Festival of Holi, which welcomes spring in bursts of color. Enjoy this gorgeous Flickr slideshow showing celebrants showering each other with the pigments traditionally used.
Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is a spring festival celebrated for sixteen days by Hindus, Buddhists, Sikhs and people of other religions in India and other countries with Indian populations. Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season, on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna, which usually falls in the later part of February or March.
The main day is celebrated by people dressing in pristine white clothing, and then gathering to throw colored powder and water at each other. Bonfires are lit the day before, also known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika) or Chhoti Holi (little Holi). As with all festivals, traditional food and music are part of the celebrations.
There are several explanations for the origins of this colorful and joyous festival. The bonfires are lit in memory of a Hindu legend which describes the miraculous escape that young Prahlad accomplished when Demoness Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. The Demoness was burned by the fire, but Prahlad escaped unscathed due to his devotion to the god Vishnu.
It also has traditional medicinal significance. It is thought that the weather change from winter to spring brings on the cold season. Originally, the colorful powders were made from Ayurvedic medicines which could combat colds: Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Ayurvedic doctors.
Holi is described as
a festival of radiance (Teja) in the universe. During this festival, different waves of radiance traverse the universe, thereby creating various colors that nourish and complement the function of respective elements in the atmosphere.
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Sources: Wikipedia, Flickr
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