A Legend From The South
In South India, people worship Kaamadeva- the god of love and passion. According to a legend, Kamadeva shot his powerful love arrow on Lord Siva to revoke his attention to the worldly affairs in the interest of the people on the earth. However, Lord Siva was enraged as he was in deep mediation and opened his third eye which burnt Kamadeva to ashes. After some time on the request of Rati, Kaamadeva's wife, Siva was pleased to restore him back. This symbolizes the victory of goodness over evil in the form of lust and desire.
Rituals of Joy and Sharing
In many places of North India the central ritual of Holi is the throwing and applying of colored water and powders on friends and family members, which gives the festival its common name "Festival of Colors." This ritual is said to be based on the above story of Krishna and Radha as well as on Krishna's playful splashing of the maids with water.
In Bengal and some eastern parts of India, Holi features the Dolayatra (Swing Festival), in which images of the gods are placed on specially decorated platforms and devotees take turns swinging them. In the meantime, women dance around and sing special songs as men spray colored water at them
The Great Philosophy of Hinduism in The Holi Festival
The festival of Holi brings out the kernel of the great Hindu philosophy i.e., finding God in every being and sharing the Dharma. The social element during Holi is the uniting or "embracing" of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. The festival teaches us to uplift the status of Karma by doing Dharma. We should forget the outgoing year's ill-feelings and begin the new year with feelings of love, sympathy, co-operation and equality with all. We should try to feel this oneness or unity with the Supreme Self also.
Holi also means “sacrifice”. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spirit of Holi. Rise from the mire of stupidity and absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity.
Holi: The Call of Hinduism To Love and Share
The call of Holi is to always keep ablaze the light of God-love shining in your heart by sharing the Dharma. Inner illumination is the real Holi. The spring season is the manifestation of the Lord, according to the Bhagavad Gita. Holi is the blossoming of hearts.
