Why is Holi celebrated? The reason most are familiar with is the legend of Holika and Prahlad, and Vishnu’s Narsimha avatar. But the festival has other origins and beliefs associated with it. We explain.

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Holika Dahan

Holika was the sister of the asur (loosely translated as demon) king Hiranyakashyap/ Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashyap was a powerful and arrogant king, who demanded that his subjects worship him and only him as god.

However, his own son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, as the king’s wife Kayadhu had lived for some time at the sage Narada’s ashram with Prahlad.

Hiranyakashyap specially disliked Lord Vishnu, who had killed his brother Hiranyakasha (in his third avatar as Varaha, or boar). Thus, when his son refused to give up the worship of Vishnu, Hiranyakashyap decided to have him killed. He tried various things, such as throwing Prahlad off a cliff and having him trampled by elephants, but Lord Vishnu saved the boy every time.

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Finally, Hiranyakashyap’s sister, Holika stepped in. Holika had a power that fire would not harm her. Thus, she walked into flames with Prahlad. However, thanks to his devotion, Prahlad was saved, and Holika burnt to ashes instead.

Holika Dahan, or the burning of Holika, recreates this fire, spreading the message that if one stays on the path of good, one eventually triumphs, even when evil seems overwhelmingly powerful — the devotion of a defenceless boy saves him from powerful and magical adversaries.

Narasimha disemboweling Hiranyakashipu. (Wikimedia Commons/From the Nasli and Alice Heeramaneck Collection, Museum Associates Purchase)Hiranyakashyap then decided to kill the boy himself. The demon king had a boon from Lord Brahma that he could be killed by neither man nor animal, neither during the day nor night, neither by or shastra (a conventional weapon) or astra (weapon released through mantras), and neither indoors nor outdoors. Thus, Vishnu took the form of half-man-half-lion Narasimha, and killed Hiranyakashyap at dusk on the doorstep of his palace with his claws.

Holi

The festival of Holi comes a day after Holika Dahan, and is far removed from the world of fires and punishments, though also linked with Vishnu — in his Krishna avatar.

Jitamitra Das, senior preacher at the ISKCON temple in New Delhi’s East of Kailash, told The Indian Express, “Holi celebrates the arrival of spring. Lord Krishna in Vrindavan had played with colours to mark the end of winter and the arrival of spring, the season of bounty and new beginnings.”

In fact, it is possible that various ancient harvest festivals and events celebrating the arrival of spring (Vasantotsav), eventually all came under the umbrella of Holi.

A research paper in the Annals of the Bhandarkar Oriental Research Institute (BORI), Pune, by Leona Anderson in 1988, says that the word ‘Holak’ is mentioned as far back as the Parishishtas (addenda) of the Atharva Veda, indicating its antiquity.

The Vasantotsav and the ritual bonfire a day ahead are also linked with Kamadeva, the Hindu god of love. After Sati’s death, Lord Shiva retreated to meditating in the mountains. To make him return to the world and marry Parvati, Kamadeva disturbed his meditation. A furious Shiva opened his third eye and incinerated Kamadeva on the spot. When his wife, Rati, begged for forgiveness, Shiva gave her a boon that Kamadeva would live on in the ananga (bodiless) form, and be born as Lord Krishna and Rukmini’s son, Pradyumna.

Shiva slaying Kamadeva, from the History of India Vol 1, 1906. (Photo: Wikimedia Commons)The celebration of love, desire, and creation linked to Kamadeva (or Madan) has become associated with Krishna too. In fact, one of the many names of Krishna is Madangopal.

Holi is also believed to be the first day of the new year in the Samvatsar, or the Vedic calendar (different from the Vikram Samvat, the commonly used Hindu calendar). Thus, Holika Dahan signifies the end of the old year, and the celebration of Holi welcomes the new.

In secular literature, one of the first detailed descriptions of Holi is in the play Ratnavali, by the king of Kannuaj Harshavardhana (590 – 647 AD).

Significance of Holi, beyond the revelry

Today, Holi as a festival involving playing with colours is recognised across the world. However, the significance of throwing colour on each other is to celebrate, as a community, the arrival of a new, fruitful season, and to collectively enjoy the bounties of nature.

Spiritually, the Holika Dahan fire signifies consigning one’s faults to the ritual flames, and emerging cleansed and joyful on Holi.

Throwing around colours for merriment also highlights India’s role in producing and appreciating colour, in art as in life — centuries ago, around the world, people depended on two Indian dyes for two major colours, indigo, and the Indian yellow, made from cow’s urine.