Skip to main content

History (Katha) Of Holi

 Since I opened my eyes I saw people playing Holi every year. I had much enthusiasm about this festival when I was a child, my adventure with colors was entertaining. I loved hide-and-seek while throwing water color on children of my age. I didn’t know why Holi was being played with colors, all I knew was fun ! And interesting thing I remember about Holi was a term “Holi Jagana (होली जगाना)”, people of different villages used to come together with their bands and bajas, and whole night they used to beat their drums, and at the first ray of Sun, a massive heap of Cow dung was burned to ashes. And after that people used to hug each other, and enjoyed the awaited moment — throwing water color, abir, gulal, at each other.

That was a childish knowing, a real experience that I realized without knowing any term like “people waste water on Holi,” “Holi shouldn’t be celebrated,” “color infection,” “tantra during Holi,” and so on. But it is essential to know the history (syn: katha) of Holi, otherwise we will forget our roots and slowly slowly this festival will disappear from our memories.

History (katha) of Holi: rise of Bhakt Prahlad

शैतान के यहाँ भी देवता पैदा होते हैं — Hiranyakashyap was a rakshas, his wife was a great sadhika, she did many great sadhanas. That’s why her womb became capable to give birth to a great soul. That great soul, her baby, was named Prahlad. Prahlad was mentally strong since his birth, he remained like a lotus in dirt. His father, king Hiranyakashyap, was a evil — he wanted other people including his son to worship just him. And Hiranyakashyap envied lord Vishnu, on the other hand, lord Vishnu was

Prahlad’s deity.

भक्ति भक्ति and just भक्ति — Prahlad was devoted to lord Vishnu, he worshiped lord Vishnu 24x7. And he slept chanting lord’s name. The more he chanted the more he gained strength. And watching all this, Hiranyakashyap was getting more and more angry with each passing day.

भक्त प्रहलाद की परीक्षा — So Hiranyakashyap thought to kill his son, he made many plans and all were executed successfully but lord Vishnu saved him each time. Now this became a challenge to Hiranyakashyap to kill his own son.

चुड़ैल होलिका बुआ की गन्दी हरकत — Hiranyakashyap asked his sister Holika to sit with Prahlad in fire flame on woodpile. Holika had a siddhi that she would never burn in fire. So one day Holika sat in fire flame with Prahlad to end his life. Miracle happend, Holika siddhi was transferred to Prahlad by lord Vishnu’s grace, as a result, Holika was burned to ashes and nothing happened to Prahlad.

भक्त प्रहलाद की मौत की अन्तिम घड़ी — Watching all this, the devil Hiranyakashyap drew his sword and roared thunderously. He asked his soldiers to tie Prahlad with a pillar. And holding his sword in the air, he ran to kill Prahlad.

भगवान विष्णु का नरसिंह रूप में अवतार — When the sword was about to go through in Prahlad’s body, at the last moment, a man having a lion’s head appeared from the pillar. The lion’s head snatched the sword from Hiranyakashyap hand and gave him a tight slap. In the next moment, he took Hiranyakashyap on his thighs and with both vulvarine hands, tore him apart to death.

Conclusion

This festival is named Holi due to that woman name Holika. During Holi Dahan (होली दहन), it is considered all the evil things will burn to ashes. People enthusiastically take part in this, as they think, all the negative things will be burned.

Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Golden Rule Of Three Years To Get Success

Give yourself completely to whatever you like for three years -- let it be your career, business, health or any other thing of life. Why three years, exactly? Because what is the advantage of sticking to something which isn't giving any result. Time is precious, don't waste if the results aren't coming. Why not less than three years? If we spread these three years for success, we can assume first year is dominated by getting knowledge of the field, second year dominated by execution, and the third year comes the maturity where knowledge and experience of execution strike for success.  As an exeption we can stretch these three years into five or six years -- only when there are uncontrollable issues like of health or circumstantial issues.
Post a Comment
Read more

108 Names Of Shri Surya From Mahabharata

Surya (Sun) is the most important planet as well as a deity. Worshiping Surya increases prana-shakti (life-force), it rays destroy many diseases and it is the biggest source of never ending energy. There is a Strota, called Surya-Kavach, it is chanted for protection, as a deity his protection is very strong — remember the case of Karna in Mahabharata, he was invincible due to Surya-Kavach. This Surya-Kavach wasn’t as it is shown in movies, it was a Mantrik protection which Karna had and on Indra request he promised not to use it in the war. We take note of popular deities, but Surya as a deity is not lesser than others — though there are less Sanskrit literature on Surya (as I know), but whatever it is, like Surya Kavach and Aditya Hriday Strota, I think, is very potent. English Name | हिंदी नाम 1) Om Suryaay Namah | ॐ सूर्याय नम: 2) Om AryMane Namah | ॐ अर्यमणे नम:
Post a Comment
Read more

Name List Of 64 Yogini / चौँसठ योगिनी

It is a list of 64 Yogini, if you want these names in Stotra form you can get from another post of this blog. These names are very useful for doing, Jaap, Puja, Tarpan, and Havan. These names are also used in making 64 Yogini Yantra in which there are 64 squares and in each square, name of each Yogini is written, then everyday worship of this Yantra starts.  For Pujan (Poojan): ओं ---------- देव्यै पूजियामि नम: ! (e.g., ओं गजानना देव्यै पूजियामि नम: ! ) For Tarpan: ओं ---------- देव्यै  तर्पयामि नम: ! (e.g., ओं गजानना देव्यै  तर्पयामि नम: !) Together Pujan+Tarpan: ओं ---------- देव्यै   पूजियामि / तर्पयामि नम:: ! (e.g., ओं गजानना देव्यै   पूजियामि / तर्पयामि नम:: ! ) For Jaap : ओं ---------- देव्यै नम:! (e.g., ओं गजानना देव्यै नम:!) For Havan:  ओं ---------- देव्यै स्वाहा ! (e.g., ओं गजानना देव्यै स्वाहा !) Note: in the empty space ( ---------- ) you can fill the name of each yogini for each time. List of 64 Yogini / चौँसठ योगिनी For better readability I put this list in four parag
Post a Comment
Read more

Moringa Soup 🍲

I don't like taste of Moringa but as it has a lot of health benefits, I think it should be eaten once in a week or in fifteen days. Health benefits of Moringa leaves Though bitter in taste, it is considered rich in nutrients and antioxidants. It has anti-inflammatory properties, also it is supposed to lower down cholesterol and blood sugar level. It is considered to have numerous health advantages. Where to find Moringa?  Available at any vegetable shop, weekly mandi market or search 'em at online stores. Moringa Soup Ingredients: Moringa cut into 2 inches pieces, onions, garlic, masoor dal (लाल वाली), ginger, shimla mirch, green chili, rock salt, kali mirch, and turmeric powder.
Post a Comment
Read more

18 Types Of Puja (Worship) Acc. To Fetkarini Tantra

Puja enhances our devotion to our Deity, and it is not an expensive affair we can learn to do it ourselves. Puja makes our heart-center (Air element) stronger, as our devotion increases it is bound to be happen. It is written in Fetkarini Tantra, about 18 kinds of worship (Puja). I think during Navratri, Holi, Deepawali (Lakshmi), Ganesh Chaturthi, MahaShivRatri and during all major festivals, Panchopachar Puja isn't sufficient one should go for either Shodosopchar Puja (16 types) or below 18 types of Puja. Try to do this in Navratri or at the time of Ganesh Chaturthi, because during these two festivals most of the Hindu do Murti Visarjan (point 18). आसनावाहनं चार्घ्य, पाद्यमाचमनं तथा। स्रानं वासोपवीतिं च, भूषणानि च सर्वशः ।। गन्धं पुष्पं तथा दीपं, धूपोऽत्रं चापि तर्पणम्। माल्यानुलेपनं चैव, नमस्कारो विसर्जनम् ।।  अष्टादशोपचारैस्तु, मातृ पूजां समाचरेत् ।। Means:1 आसन, 2 आवाहन, 3 अर्घ्य, 4 पाद्य, 5 आचमन, 6 स्नान, 7 वस्त्र, 8 उपवीत (जनेऊ), 9 आभूषण, 10 गन्ध, 11 पुष्प, 12 धूप, 13 दीप, 1
Post a Comment
Read more

Essential Nyas For A Sadhak To Do Everyday

Nyas means to establish something (Devi / Devta energy) in our body: it purifies our body and makes our body and mind worthy of chanting a mantra / stotra. A Sadhak should do भूत-शुद्धि, बहिर्मातृका न्यास, अन्तर्मातृका न्यास, and षोढा-न्यास daily, 'coz we worship Devta by becoming a Devta, and in that Nyas helps us a lot. In every mantra generally many kinds of Nyas are given prior to chanting a mantra, they are usually shorter and doesn't take much time. They are essential and shouldn't be skipped. These  भूत-शुद्धि, बहिर्मातृका न्यास, अन्तर्मातृका न्यास, and षोढा-न्यास take comparatively longer time duration.  भूत-शुद्धि means purification of five elements in our body, that is Earth (Prithvi), Water (Jal), Fire (Agni), Air (Vayu), and Ether (Aakash). बहिर्मातृका Nyas and अन्तर्मातृका Nyas, establish  "energy of our VarnMala" in our body-parts and in our chakras respectively.   षोढा-न्यास is of two types Lagu Shoda Nyas and Maha Shoda Nyas.
Post a Comment
Read more

Nutritional Diet Plan (Raw) To Any Disease

It may help in any kind of chronic disease -- we just need to learn how to prepare them.  Things to eat / drink: Smoothie Salad / fruits / vegetables Steamed vegetables (when raw vegetables are difficult to eat.) Juices Soup Coconut Milk Cold-pressed edible virgin coconut oil (to be taken as raw one to three teaspoons a day.) Taste enhancers: Chutney / Tahini / Kokum etc. Crushed "garlic, ginger, raw turmeric, raw amala, green chilly" (It is v. good) Banana Icecream (sometimes, not to be eaten regularly, as it may slow down digestive fire.) Once in a day Moon Dal and brown rice. Soaked peanuts and dry-fruits in lower quantity initially. We need to choose what to eat in breakfast, lunch, evening-snacks and dinner. In raw diet, we need to eat a lot.  Just open Youtube and search for "Smoothie" you may get plenty of videos, like that you can search for Soup, Chutney and other items. Try to use above diet plan for a week. Also one needs to check nutritional deficiency f
Post a Comment
Read more

Why Two Types Of Navratri Are More Popular

Navratri comes four times in a year: 1) In Chitra (Vasant) Maas, 2) In Sharad (Ashwin) Maas, 3) In Ashadha (आषाढ़) Maas, and 4) in Magh Maas. As it is written in the following Shaloka: चैत्रे आश्विने तथाषाढे, माघे कार्यों महोत्सवः। नव रात्रे महाराज! पूजा कार्या विशेषतः ।।  Generally, we are told that two Navratri are for public and rest two Navratri are called Gupt Navratri. These two Gupt Navratri are for the Sadhak --- but it isn't the exact fact. All four Navratri are for general public and for all dedicated Devi Sadhak, there is no secret. Fact is during the time of Chaitra and Sharad, weather changes a lot -- so there are chances of getting diseases. During Navratri due to fasting and purification, all kind of diseases can be avoided, that's why these two Navratri gained significance among public.
Post a Comment
Read more