Amazing facts about Holi

Holi or Holikotsava is not a festival of recent origin.  It is mentioned in Jaimini’s Purvamimamsa Sutras as well as in Kaathaka Grihya sutras

It was at first actually a special rite performed by married women for the happiness and well-being of their families and the full moon(Raakaa) was the deity worshipped by them. 

Phalguna purnima is the last day of the lunar calendar as per one system which considers the month to be ending with Purnima instead of Amavasya.  This was the system followed earlier.  According to this the new year heralding the vasanta ritu or spring starts the next day after Phalguna Purnima.  Thus the full moon festival of Holika gradually became a festival of joy, announcing the commencement of spring.  Holi is a time when man and nature alike throw off the gloom of winter and rejoice in the colors and liveliness of spring.

The other names of this festival are Vasanta Mahotsava and Kaama Mahotsava also.  

This day is important for the following reasons

Puranic Significance:

1. Lord Shiva opened his third eye and burnt Kaamdev.  Kaama-Dahan. So Holi is a festival to transform Lust into Love by rising above body identification.  (Story given below)  Kamadeva is the God of love. Kama's body was destroyed when he shot his weapons at Shiva in order to disrupt his penance. For the sake of Kama's wife Rati, Shiva restored him, but only as a mental image, representing the true emotional and mental state of love rather than physical lust. 
2. It was on this day that Holika, the sister of the demon king Hiranyakashipu, who tried to kill the child-devotee Prahlada, by taking him on her lap and sitting on a pyre of wood which was set fire to, was herself reduced to ashes, while Prahlada was unscathed.  So holika dahan is to signify the victory of faith over materialism and oppression of spirituality.  Listen to a podcast on the Narasimha Avataar along with meditation at the end of the session - Click Here
3. It was on this day that an ogress called Dhundhi, who was troubling the children in the kingdom of Prithu(or Raghu) was made to run away for life, by the shouts and pranks of the mischievous boys.  Though she had secured several boons that made her almost invincible, this - noise, shouts, abuses and pranks of boys - was a chink in her armour due to a curse of Lord Shiva.  The day itself came to be called “Adaadaa” or Holika since then.
4. Krishna is believed to have complained about his dark color and Radha's fair color to his mother.   His mother Yashoda playfully suggested that he should smear color on Radha's face too and change her complexion to any color he wanted.  Captivated by the idea, Krishna proceeded to do so. In Vrindavan and Mathura the festival is still celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna)

Harmony in Relationships:
Forgetting the differences and hurts, everyone comes together in an attitude of forgiveness and love and unites by splashing colors of joy and happiness. Take a moment and drop the negatives feelings you have for anyone and forgive them. Send or express your Love to them. 

Ecology & Healing:
Color has an effect on the body. Each color has a healing effect on the body because the body is made up of 7 dhatus and each of these have their own color. Hence 7 colors. Color-Therapy, aroma-therapy etc. is used to cure many diseases by balancing the colors of the body.  Flowers of Palash, rose, rajnigandha etc. are used in holi to balance the 7 colors & prepare to face upcoming heat and strengthen the immunity

Playing with Colors:

• Some refuse to play with colors.  Some refuse to face life. Some hesitate to have certain colors. Some hesitate to accept life totally.  Those who allow all colors and get colored completely without any self-consciousness they alone truly have ‘fun and blast’.

• Accept life TOTALLY.  As it comes. As it is. With all its variety and ups & downs Life is a roller-coaster ride…… “Pairs of opposites will come and go. They are not permanent.  Bear them silently.” - Bhagavad Gita.  Watch Poojya Gurudev Swami Chinmayanandaji's video on this - Click Here 

• One who remains unaffected by these is a wise man and is fit for ‘immortality’  -  Bhagavad Gita 

• While playing with colors, we are careful not to damage our eyes.  Vision remains clear.  Only then we have   fun.

• Let not the colors of life, color our perception.  Let the Vision be clear. Attachment colors our vision. Lets be detached and play in the game of life.  

• We apply oil on ourselves before playing with colors. Similarly apply oil of Devotion before entering into the world to play with colors of life.

• We enjoy the play of life only if we remain in our ‘true colors’.  When we do our duty and swadharma without imitating someone else we enjoy the play of life. Be Yourself.  Pretension & blind imitation causes tremendous stress. 

• Colors are temporary.  We don’t judge ourselves based on it. Infact the more colors we have on our face we feel happy.  In life also colors(situations, experiences) are temporary.  Why judge oneself based on these?Play with all the colors and Be the Self – unaffected by all colors like the Screen remains unaffected by all the colors of the movie. 

Holika Dahan

Generally a log of wood will be kept in a prominent public place on the Vasanta-Panchami day(Maagha Shukla Panchami) almost 40 days before the Holi festival.  An image of Holika with child Prahlada in her lap is also kept on the log.  Holika’s image is made of combustible material whereas Prahlada’s, of non-combustible ones.  People go on throwing twigs of trees and any combustible material they can spare, on to that log which gradually grows into a sizeable heap.  On the night of Phalguna Purnima, it is set fire to in a simple ceremony and one chants the Rakshoghna Mantras of the Rig Veda(4.4.1-15; 10.87.1-25 and so on).   The next morning, the ashes from the bonfire are collected as Prasada and smeared on the limbs of the body.  Singed coconuts, if any, are also collected and eaten.  

In some houses, the image of Kamadeva is kept int he square yard and a simple worship is offered.  A mixture of mango blossoms and sandalwood paste is partaken as the prasada.  

In Bengal, it is observed in a very beautiful manner as Dol-Purnima or Dolaayaatraa(The festival of swing). The festival, said to have been initiated by the king Indradyumna in Vrindaavana, is spread over 3 or 5 days, starting from the Shukla Chaturdashi of Phalguna.  A celebration in honour of Agni and worship of Govinda(Krishna) in image kept on a swing(Dolaa) are important features.  The fire kindled on the first day is to be preserved till the last day.  The swing is to be rocked 21 times at the end of the festival.  

Thus Holi is a celebration of the following:

1. Onset of the Spring season
2. Transformation of Lust into Love
3. Selfishness transforms to selflessness.  Kaamdev gives up his form for the benefit of the world.  
4. Victory of Faith over materialism
5. Power of acceptance, love, forgiveness and social harmony
6. Colors of nature, of happiness, love and devotion.  

May we live our life in true colors of devotion, dedication and discover the Lord in our heart.  May we experience Bliss and make others also Blissful.  Happy Holi.  

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Kaama-Dahana Story

There was an asura called Tarakasura and he had got a boon that only the son of Lord Shiva can kill him.  Sati had immolated herself and Parvatiji was not yet married to Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva was in deep meditation and Tarakasura started troubling the Devatas etc.  So Brahmaji and devatas met.  They called Madankumar & party.  Kaamdev was called urgently.  He was told to go and break the meditation of Lord Shiva.  Kaamdev said if i try to disturb HIS Meditation, i will die. Devtas said - its possible.  Kaamdev said - Its for the good of everyone and so even if i have to die, its ok.  Anyways im going to die, let me do some mischief first. 

Kaamdev did such a trick that in entire creation everyone was filled with sexual desires.  Rivers, creepers, animals etc.  Even rishis who were seeing world as Brahman started seeing the world as Narimaya.  Women started seeing men alone in the whole world.  Only a few people whose mind was in the Lord, were saved by the Lord.  Yogis, rishis were wondering what happened to us. Bhogis were very happy.  After sometime, Kaamdev withdrew his power and there was peace in the world.  This went on for one full hour till Kaamdev reached Lord Shiva. 

When he saw Lord Shiva, he was scared but he had to do his duty. So Kaamdev created all music, dance etc. and finally shot 5 arrows at Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva saw Kaam dev and with his third eye Kaamdev was burnt.  

Kaamdev was burnt to ashes and so many Rishis were happy that now our mind will remain in samadhi. Bhogis felt sad.  It is said Rati is the most beautiful woman and Kaamdev - most handsome man. Rati is Kaamdev’s wife. She came crying to Lord Shiva.  Lord Shiva said - I have burnt him and he doesn’t have a body but without body itself he will be in the mind of all beings.  As a desire Kaam is there in the minds of all.  One of the names of Kamdev is Anang.  Madan, Manasija are other names of Kaamdev.  Lord Shiva also blessed Rati that when Krishna avatar happens, his son will be Pradyumna who will be  Kaamdev in physical form and then you will be united with Kaamdev again 

Devatas felt grateful to Lord Shiva and said that O Lord! You are so compassionate that you punished and blessed him also.  Please get married with Parvati and Lord Shiva agreed.  Their son - Kartikeya finally killed Tarakasura.