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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.

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