Holi Festival

                                  

Holi, the festival of colors, is celebrated in the month of Phalgun (February-March).It is the full moon day in Phalgun that  in the spring season in India. It is also a celebration of the harvest season.   ‘Holi' comes from the word ‘hola' which means sacrifice. And the festival is a reminder that we must live our lives in a spirit of service and sacrifice. Holi symbol for  victory and stands for the victory of good over evil. The  festival  gets its name from the  earlier  story of Holika. Holika was the sister of  the king  Hiranyakashipu. The king, egoistic as he was, desired that everybody in his kingdom worship him alone. He found that his son, Prahlada, was a worshipper of Lord Vishnu. It was then that Hiranyakashipu decided to kill Prahlada in connivance with his sister. Holika had been granted a boon that gave her the power to remain unaffected by fire.  She put Prahlada into a fire, Holika sat him on her lap and pretended to play with him while Hiranyakashipu ordered his men to set the place where they sat on fire. It was then that Holika's boon failed her. For her sin, she kill by the Lord's devotee, Holika was burned to ashes while Prahlada came out unscathed.Another important aspect of Holi is its joy and fun. Contrary to common perception, spirituality is about enjoying life to its fullest.It is a vibrant, living knowledge that enables us to make life a celebration. So on Holi, we must remember to bring the color into our lives. It is not a festival of colours but also a festival of unity and friendship. All barriers like caste, creed, position, and language are forgotten and men and women join the fun. This festival marks brotherhood and love as neither caste nor class barriers remain among the people.