HOLI : The Spring Festival Of Colours

With winter mists melting in the sunshine, Phalgun brings new life to every leaf and bud, announcing that Vasant Ritu or Springtime has come with its great display of flowers and fruits. While nature wears verdant new robes, the vernal equinox brings hope to farmers. This joyful new beginning is celebrated on the full moon day of Phalgun at the most colourful festival of India - Holi.

Thc night before the full moon, crowds of people gather in open spaces and light huge bonfires to burn the residual dried leaves and twigs of the winter) To fire-god Hutashani, they offer ears of corn, new vegetables, coconuts, butter, sweets, flowers and vermillion.

The Holi bonfire, often a community event, is also a commemoration of the Puranic legend in which the demoness Holika was burnt to death and the victory of good over evil was once again ensured.

Next morning, when the embers are cold, dhuli or the sacred dust of the bonfire is venerated. Coloured water and powders (gulal and kurnkum) are thrown over merrymakers to svrnholise the coming of spring.

Especially in villages, Holi, also called Phag or Shimga, is an important fortnight-long celebration

during which homes are renaired. harvests Planned weddings held and feast shared. In the northern, western, as well as eastern regions, Holi celebrates the joyful raasleela of Krishna and the gopis. They play phag which is a game of many colourful hues, among the newly fragrant Jasmine bowers. About this time the Silk Cotton or Kesaria trees burst into bloom with bunches of deep orange flowers. It is said that Krishna made a concoction of these flowers and used it to shower the gopis with colour. This tradition continues even today. The gesture of throwing colour over each other (in many Krishna temples, even the idols are given a bath or sprinkling of colour), is a joyous celebration of the rejuvenation of nature, and renewed hope of happiness and peaceful co-existence.

Metaphorically, Krishna is called the artist who dyes this world in the hues of bliss and joy and the devotee prays that he should be included in this divine grace and benevolence.

Holi is once again a time for feasting. Garlands of batashas or sugar discs in pink and white, are given to friends. Gujias with sweet fillings, puranpoUs with jaggery flavour, sanjoris filled with semolina halwa and different varieties of pancakes are eaten on this occasion. On festive occasions Parsis use this silverthaliiii with auspicious items: rose petals, a coconut, a rose water sprinkler, alamp, rice and vermillion. Though Parsi festivals are reminiscent of their central Asian origin, they also offer an insight into their total assimilation in India.