Holi

Holika Dahan: the night of the bonfire

Holi begins on the evening of Phalguna Purnima with Holika Dahan, also called Chhoti Holi. In the days before, people collect wood, cow-dung cakes and dry leaves at a crossroads or open ground. After sunset, at the auspicious time (avoiding the period of Bhadra), the family worships the pyre: they tie a raw cotton thread around it three or seven times, offer water, roli, rice, flowers, coconut, new grain and sweets, and then light the fire. People walk around it, roast ears of new wheat and barley and green gram in the flames, and take some home as blessed food. The fire is the burning of Holika, and of the ego, hatred and evil she stands for. In many places the ash is applied to the forehead the next morning for protection.

Dhulandi: the day of colours

The next morning, Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi, everyone pours into the streets. Friends, neighbours and strangers smear each other with gulal (coloured powder) and drench each other with coloured water from pichkaris and balloons. Social distinctions of caste, age, rank and gender are set aside for the day: “bura na mano, Holi hai“, “don’t be offended, it’s Holi”. Drums and folk songs (phag, hori, chautal) fill the air, and people drink thandai and eat gujiya, malpua, dahi vada and puran poli. In the afternoon people bathe, dress in clean clothes and visit friends and relatives to embrace and share sweets. Old quarrels are forgiven.

Holi in Braj: forty days of colour

Holi is nowhere more famous than in Braj, the land of Krishna around Mathura, where the festival begins on Vasant Panchami and lasts for weeks.

• Lathmar Holi at Barsana and Nandgaon: the men of Krishna’s village Nandgaon go to Radha’s village Barsana to tease the women, who drive them off with sticks (lathis) while the men shield themselves; the next day the roles reverse in Nandgaon.
• Laddu Holi at Barsana: laddoos are thrown as prasad in the Shri Radha Rani temple.
• Phoolon wali Holi at Vrindavan: at the Banke Bihari temple, the priests shower devotees with flower petals.
• Widows’ Holi at Vrindavan: in recent years, widows who were once excluded from celebrations have played Holi with petals and gulal at the Gopinath temple.
• Huranga at Dauji: the day after Holi, women tear the shirts off the men and beat them with the wet cloth in fun.

Holi across India

• Bengal and Odisha: Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima, when images of Radha and Krishna are carried on swings; it is also the birthday of Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. At Shantiniketan, Rabindranath Tagore’s Basanta Utsav welcomes spring with songs and dance.
• Punjab: Sikhs celebrate Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib with displays of martial skill, begun by Guru Gobind Singh.
• Manipur: Yaosang, a six-day festival with the Thabal Chongba folk dance.
• Maharashtra: Shimga, and Rang Panchami, five days later, when colours are played.
• Goa: Shigmo, with parades and folk dance.
• Kerala and Karnataka: Kamadahana, remembering Shiva burning Kamadeva to ashes, which some regions link with Holi.
• Kumaon, Uttarakhand: the Baithki Holi and Khadi Holi, musical gatherings that begin weeks before.
• Nepal: Fagu Purnima, a national holiday.

The meaning of the colours

Holi marks the end of winter and the coming of spring, when the rabi crops of wheat and barley ripen; it is a harvest festival, and the new grain is first offered to the fire. Traditionally colours were made from flowers and herbs such as tesu (flame of the forest), turmeric, neem, beetroot and henna, which were believed to protect against the illnesses of the change of season.

Celebrating safely

• Use natural, skin-safe colours, and avoid synthetic dyes, which can contain heavy metals.
• Oil your skin and hair before playing so that colours wash off more easily.
• Protect your eyes, and never force colour on anyone who does not want to play.
• Save water by playing with dry gulal where you can.
• Keep pets indoors; colours and noise frighten animals.