The Legend of Lord Sri Krishna

The legend of Lord Sri Krishna explains that Krishna started the tradition of playing with colours. The story also tells that Lord played by applying colours on his lover Radha and other gopikas. After that the playing with colours became a tradition.During a visit to Krishna Temple in Spanish Fork I had a chance to see first hand the success that Caru and the devotees are having. Caru prabhu was generous in explaining to me how there festivals have been successfully growing over the years. The devotees here at New Goloka are planning our first Holi Festival.

This year the featured band for the evening are called The Fews. The members of the band are; Gaura Vani - Singer & Guitar, Brahma - Sax, Jayananda - Bass, Bhakti - Drums. We will have a variety of local youth talent to perform dances, dramas and musical sessions. There will also be a traditional throwing of colors.

Holi Celebration



Holi celebration takes place with lot of joy and verve throughout the country. The enthusiasm of the people reaches its peak and matches with the nature which is in full bounty at the time of Holi.

Holi is being celebrated in Indian since time immemorial but the popularity of Holi celebrations seems to be rising with every passing year and so is the level of hoo-ha. As no other festival gives so much liberty to the people to let their hair loose and enjoy their hidden crazy self.

Differences of any sort are drowned in the coloured waters of Holi and people just enjoy being a play animal. To further enhance the festive spirit of Holi celebrations we have a social sanction to get a kick with the tradition of bhang. Then there is total wildness as people dance to the rhythm of dholak and sing traditional folk songs in loudest possible pitch.

Children particularly enjoy the festival as they throw water filled balloons at passersby...and if anybody stares..they have ready answer, 'Bura na mano Holi hai..' and evoke a smile on the irritated face. Besides, they have their water missiles, called pichkaris to drench the person from far and escape further drenching.

In the midst of these colouring games are savoured the mouth watering holi specialities like gujiya, malpuas, mathri, puran poli, dahi badas etc and downed with glasses full of thandai.

In some states there is also a tradition of breaking the pot full of buttermilk which is hung high on the streets. A group of boys form a human pyramid and one of them break the pot. All this while womenfolk throw buckets of colour water on them and sing folk songs.

And after a wild and eventful day, evenings are celebrated in a dignified manner by visiting friends and relatives. People exchange sweets and hug each other conveying the warm wishes for Holi. These days there people also participate and organise Holi Meets and enjoy the festival till late in the night.

Holi celebrations that starts with the burning of Holika on the eve of Holi thus culminates with the lot of funfilled activity and bonhomie. However, at some places specially Mathura and Barsana Holi celebrations continue for a week as each major temple organise a Holi bash on different day. Lovers of the festival enjoy every moment to the hilt.

Holi is the festival of colors



People wear out new clothes and meet relatives, friends and etc. Holi specials food are like gujiya, malpuas, mathri, dahi badas with big glass full with thandai. Holi is the vibrant Indian festivals which unite to all peoples.

Holi Indian festival enjoy by all age people. Holi celebrated among all over the country by different religious. The Hinduism festival Holi celebrations tie to the all people together.

Holi festival is one of the most important festivals for Indian people. All Hindu festivals end after Holi festivals. Holi festival is the sign of colors of happiness. Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and come in Falgun month of hindu calendar (March).

Different states people celebrate Holi with different traditions. But one thing you can see same in all difeerent state celebration and different tradition is the spirit of it. Holi festivals may be known by various names.

Holi Festival Preparations



Whole country India dress in a festival look during the day of Holi. Market also look colorful and shoppers start preparation for attracting more people. Before few days of Holi festival roadside are full with color and celebration materials. Shops are buzz with modern design, attractive and innovative pichkaris. Many persons buy pichkaris to drench everybody in the group and town.



Women in the family start making recipes for the holi festivals. Gujiya, mathri, papdi are made for family, friends and relative. In the north India women also makes papads, potato chips and etc.

Season of Bloom



Everyone gets charmed at time of festival Holi because itself is so nice.Holi also known as spring Festival because it marks the arrival of spring the season. With holi festival winter seasons goes and summer start. Nature also look like celebrating Holi festival because it wear new clothes.

The gloom of the winter goes as Holi promises of bright summer days. Nature too, it seems rejoices at the arrival of Holi and wears its best clothes. All farms are fulfilled with harvests promising a good crop to the farmers. All flowers farms blooming with color and perfume in the air.

Holi Festival Legends



Holi History - King Hiranyakashyap

Holi festival also has many story like other hindu festivals story. The chief legend associated with holi is related with demon King Hiranyakashyap. Devil King Hiranyakashyap want every person in his kingdoms worship him. But King Hiranyakashyap devout son, Prahlad worships a Lord Vishnu. So that’s why Hiranyakashyap wanted to kill his son prahlad. Hiranyakashyap sister hoika had a boon which made holika protected to fire. Hiranyakashyap requested sister Holika to enter inside a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. But Prahlad has extreme devotion of God Vishnu. That’s why Prahlad was saved by god Vishnu and evil Holike was burnt to ashes. From that time, people light small or big a bonfire, called Holika on the event of Holi festival. So People celebrate the victory of good over bad.

Holi Festival Mythology - Evil Pootana

Another one legend associated with Holi is related with evil Pootana. Krishna’s devil uncle Kansa want to kill Krishna. So Kansa sent evil Pootna to kill Krishna. Evil Pootana tried to kill newborn child Krishna by feeding it poisonous milk. But Lord Krishna sucked her blood and kill Pootna. So that, some people also celebrate the death of evil Pootna.

Rang Panchami, Holi, Festival Of India

Holi (aka Phagwa in Bhojpuri) is a hindu festival of Colours. This popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK and Nepal. In West Bengal, it is known as Dolyatra (Doljatra) or Boshonto Utsav ("spring festival"). The Holi is celebrated over two days.

Holika Dahan
The first day called "Holika Dahan" involves burning of the demoness Holika - Hiranyakashipu's sister, in huge bonfires at night. It is called Kama dahanam in Andhra Pradesh.

Holi / Dhulheti
On the second day, known as "Dhulheti", people spend the day throwing coloured powder (Gulal in Hindi) and water at each other. The spring season, during which the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Thus, the playful throwing of the coloured powders has a medicinal significance: the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs prescribed by Āyurvedic doctors.

Rang Panchami
Rangapanchami occurs a few days later on a Panchami (fifth day of the full moon), marking the end of festivities involving colours.The festival of Rangpanchami is also associated with Holi festival. Some people confuse Rang Panchami with the Holi festival that is celebrated with colors the day after the lighting of fires on the Phalgun Purnima day.

COMMENT = Holi, the colorful Hindu spring festival, is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Phalugna or Falguna (February – March). Holi 2010 date is March 1 – Dhulendi or Dhulandi. Holika Dahan, also known as Chotti Holi, date in 2010 is February 28. Talk about Holi and the first thing that comes to mind is playing with colours – throwing of colored water and colored powder on one another. Holi festival is largely associated with Lord Krishna and it said that in his childhood and teenage, Krishna played the festival with Gopas and Gopis in Vrindavan.

At Vrindavan, Mathura and other places associated with Lord Krishna, the Holi festival begins a fortnight early and continues till the actual Holi day and includes numerous rituals and games.
Traditional Holi celebrations in North India begin on Rang Pashi, three days earlier to Holika Dahan. All family members gather at home; and gulal is sprinkled on all by the eldest family member. Women wear their special Holi dandia saris on the day.

The second most important day during Holi festival is the Holika Dahan day, when bonfires are lit. The bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape that child Prahlad had when Demon Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, carried him into the fire. Holika was burnt but Prahlad, a staunch devotee of God Sri Hari Vishnu, escaped without any injuries due to his unshakable and unfathomable devotion.

The next day is the popular Holi festival or Dhulendi. People visit the homes of friends and relatives and play Holi with colors.

An important that is celebrated in North India after the Holi festival day is Bhai Dhooj.

Dolyatra is held in Bengal on the day of Holi. And on the same day Dola Purnima is observed in Orissa.

Holi hai!!



Festivals all over the world are means of expression of joy. But “Holi” the delightful festival of riotous colors is unique to India, especially North India. India is a country of multi-cultures, languages, ethnic groups, innumerable segments and sub-sects of castes within the Hindu faith, food habits, life-styles, dresses and attires distinct to each State – but all of them are forgotten on occasions like “Holi”, proving to the world once again how people could live together in peace with unity in diversity.

Of all the reasons behind “Holi” the strikingly different one the forefathers of India thought fit to celebrate it is – this is a mass celebration of people in a village, in a locality or part of town to greet each other, chase each other funnily and apply riotous colors on everybody’s face and laugh away all the differences between them. There can be no other festival in comparison in any country, where such mass celebration outside individual houses takes place.

Otherwise there are other reasons for the “Holi” from Hindu mythology, of which different versions are there. Prahalada, a child devotee of Lord Vishnu, born to the father Hiranyakashib, who is disturbing the world with his arrogant actions, paves way for his destruction by none other than the Lord. Mahavishnu takes the avatar of Narasimha – a lion with human body and kills the brute. Prahalada is subjected to many tortures by his father, including throwing him in fire along with his sister demon Holika who is immune to fire. But ultimately by God’s grace, the evil burns into fire while Prahalada comes out unscathed. Some people say “Holi” is for rejoicing the destruction of evil Holika and so bone-fires are part of Holi.

Still some people relate Holi with the eternal love of Radha and Krishna, the mythological characters of the Lord Vishnu and is celebrated with much fan fare at Mathura, Vrindavan etc. What ever the reason behind Holi, it comes on the next of full moon in the month of March – the beginning of pleasant Summer after the grip of cold Winter in North India – the real reason for rejoicing by one and all. This month

I know it's a little late to say that. But this refers to the Holi celebration at UC Berkeley today organized by the Indian Students' Association. The celebrations were postponed to today due to frequent rains in the past few weeks.

Feeling the effects of old age in grad life, devoid of company (I wish more C-BOT people were here) but still curious, I dragged my poor room-mate along to at least watch the event and take a few pictures. Though we didn't actually play, I managed a few snaps as people posed quite readily. My first attempt at photographing strangers was not so disastrous! :-)

Holi was being played with loud Hindi music and almost an equal amount of color and water as in India (i.e. if you did use color to play). Fooled around, clicked random shots and finally met with an interesting chap (last photo) who explained to us some connections between the Indian and Greek mythologies

Holi - Festival of Colours and Love



For those of us who think Holi is all about creating an almighty mess and the ultimate test of our combat skills, there is more to this festival. The mythological roots of this fun and sometimes chaotic festival are as diverse as the colours involved. The most prominent tale connected to this festival is that of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap. According to this legend, there once lived a powerful king named Hiranyakashyap who considered himself God and ordered everyone to worship him. His son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap, a demon in reality, asked his sister Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad as she had a blessing that protected her from fire. But to Hiranyakashyap’s surprise, Prahlad was protected due to his extreme devotion and Holika paid the price for her brother’s doings. The tradition of the bonfire or ‘Holika Dahan’ originates from this legend.

The passionate and young Lord Krishna and the gopis of Brindavan are also significant in many Holi celebrations.

According to another legend, Goddess Parvati was once undergoing penance to win the love of Lord Shiva. Kaama, the God of Love, decided to assist her and shot a passion inducing arrow at Shiva. Known for his temper, Lord Shiva woke up from his trance and burnt Kaama. He then married Parvati fulfilling her penance. Hence, Holi is also celebrated as the festival of love.

Holi ' The Festival of Colours



Colours will fill the atmosphere as people throw Abeer and Gulal in the air showing great joy and mirth in the arrival of this Spring Festival.

Holi marks the end of the winter gloom and rejoices in the bloom of the spring time. It is the best time and season to celebrate; Holi provides this opportunity and people take every advantage of it.

Days before Holi, the markets get flooded with the colours of every hues. This aptly sets the mood of the people till the actual day of Holi. It is such a colourful and joyous sight to watch huge piles of bright red, magenta, pink, green and blue every where on the streets. Buying those colours seems as you are bringing joys and colour to your home and into your life.

Children take special delight in the festival and demand every colour in loads. They have so many plans in their mind. They have to be the first to apply colour to Mama, Papa, siblings and a big bunch of friends in their colony. Nobody could miss being coloured by them and of course, they need colour for that.

These days it is easy to buy colours from the market but still some people do take up the task of making colours at home, usually from flowers of tesu and palash. These home made colours, have a special fragrance of love in them.

The other option is to buy Gulal which comes in bright shades of pink, magenta, red, yellow and green. ‘Abeer’ is made of small crystals or paper like chips of mica. This is mixed with the gulal for a rich shine. Mischievous ones, however, go for silver and gold paints on which no colour could be applied.

Whatever be the choice of colour, nobody remains in their original texture at the end of the play. And everybody takes delight looking at the other. Really, the other name of the festival is FUN.

And, it is not just children, but the young and the old alike who take delight in this joyous festival of colours. Seniors too, move in their tolis. Their enthusiasm is at times greater than that of their children as they forget the bars of age and follow their hearts. To youth, holi gives a chance to explore the heights of their enthusiasm as they climb the human pyramids to break the pot of buttermilk and to express their love to their beloved by applying colour.

For, Holi knows no bars, everybody feels it is their right to enjoy and enjoy they do. Songs, dance, drinks, food everything goes in excess when it is time for Holi. It can be said, “Life turns Colourful” when it is time for Holi.

So, Holi Hai… Wish you and your family a Happy and Colorful HOLI

Holi Sweets: Bite into these scrumptious sweets

Devoured by colours? The refreshing, yet ineffective shower is not working? Try some of these simple yet yummy delicacies to get the festive spirit back on track.

Bhang: Bhang is prepared by grounding the buds and leaves of cannabis using a mortar and pestle into a green paste. It is mixed with milk, ghee and spices to prepare a drink which is intoxicating, to say the least.

Ingredients
1 1/2 litre - Water
1 1/2 cups - Sugar
1 cup - Milk
1 tbsp - Almonds
1 tbsp - Watermelon/cantaloupe seeds (dried and skinned)
1/2 tbsp - Poppy seeds
1/2 tbsp - Aniseed
1/2 tsp - Cardamom powder
1 tsp - Peppercorns (whole)
1/4 cup - Dried or fresh rose petals (Gulkand variety)

Method
Soak sugar in 1/2 litre of water and all other dry ingredients in 2 cups of water for at least 2 hours. Grind all soaked ingredients (not sugar) to a very fine paste. Mix remaining water to the paste and strain it using a strong muslin strainer to extract the liquid into a vessel until the residue becomes dry. Add milk and sugar to the extracted liquid. Mix the cardamom powder in the milk. Chill for an hour of two before serving. Makes about 8 glasses.

Colour recipes: Make your natural Holi colours at home

Holi colours can also be prepared at home. These home-prepared colours are natural and safe.

Dry Red Colour: You can use red sandalwood powder. The powder of dry red hibiscus flowers mixed with any flour will also give you a natural red colour.

Wet Red Colour: Mix turmeric powder in water and add few drops of lemon juice. Within seconds, the water will turn a bright red colour.

Dry Yellow Colour: Mix two spoons of turmeric powder with four spoons of ‘besan’ for a bright yellow colour.

Wet Yellow Colour: Mix two spoons of turmeric in four litres of water and stir well and the water will turn yellow.

Wet Orange/Saffron Colour: Peel around 12 large onions and boil in half litre water. Remove the onion peels. You will get an orange colour with a light pink shade. Another method is to soak ‘tesu’ flowers in water for the duration of a night to get yellowish - orange colour.

Dry Green Colour: Make a paste out of different green leaves like spinach, coriander, mint etc in water and leave it to dry. Another method is to mix mehndi or henna with any flour.

Wet Green Colour: Take four spoons of henna and mix it in two litres of water to get green-coloured water.

Wet Magenta Colour: Grate beetroot and soak it in one litre of water to get magenta colour.

Wet Brown Colour: Boil tea or coffee in water and cool it.

Holi Safety Tips



Celebrated in northern parts of India, Holi is a festival of joy and colors. On the joyous occasion, people follow the tradition of smearing color onto the faces of their friends and guests, playfully. While playing with colors is the essence of the festival and is what breathes in life to the occasion, it can be at times very dangerous, in case you do not take precautions. This is because, in the present time, the colors available for Holi are made of harmful chemicals, which may prove to be hazardous if not used properly, without precautions. Therefore, you should take safety measures, if you want to ensure a joyous and colorful Holi. In the following lines, we have provided some safety tips for Holi.

Safety Tips For Holi

=> While playing Holi, always wear old and ragged clothes that can be discarded immediately after the occasion. Brightly colored and dark colored clothes are preferable for the mood of the day. This way, you will save a lot of time in laundering your stained clothes.

=> Wear full-sleeved t-shirts or shirts and leggings that cover your legs fully, so that your sensitive body parts are not exposed to the harmful chemicals of the colors of Holi. Wearing socks on the occasion is a good idea too.

=> Since it is almost impossible to save yourself face from attack of colors on Holi, so while being attacked, keep your eyes and lips tightly closed.

=> If you are playing Holi, apply a thick layer of coconut or any oil on your body and hair until they glisten and you become slippery. The oily coat would protect you from the immediate effect of harmful chemicals of the colors of Holi. This will not only help in escaping from the frenzied mob attack, but also will help you to wash off colors easily, later on.

=> While washing off the color from your face, use lukewarm water and keep your eyes and lips tightly closed.

=> If you are traveling on Holi, keep the car windows tightly shut. It is still better to avoid traveling on the day of playing colors, because you never know, when balloons filled with colors and water might fall onto you.

=> Do not make use of harmful colors for Holi. This will not only prove harmful to your playmates, but also spoil your Holi. Make use of herbal colors for the festival.

=> Choose herbal colors that are easily available in the market, for Holi. You may also make herbal colors at home. For instance, red sandalwood powder can be used to make red color; henna powder can be put in best use to derive the bright green color, while yellow color can be made by making use of turmeric powder.

Holi SMS's archives


All the colors of life

May God gift you all the colors of life,
colors of joy, colors of happiness,
colors of friendship, colors of love
and all other colors you
want to paint in your life. Happy Holi.

If wishes come in rainbow colors
then I would send
the brightest one to say
Happy Holi.

A true and caring relation doesn’t have to speak loud,
a soft sms is just enough to express the heartiest feelings.
Enjoy the Indian festival of Holi with lot of fun.

_________ U’ve
!’–.___.–’! got a
i________i CARD.
Open it…
§«§«§«§«§«§«§«§«
§ H A P P Y §
§ H O L I §
§«§«§«§«§«§«§«§«
Have a Nice Day!

Red 4 prosperity.
Green 4 happiness,
blue 4 longitivity,
orange 4 progress,
pink 4 friendship.
May u be blessed with all shades of Holi.

Celebrating the colors
of our beautiful relationship,
I wish you and your family
all the bright hues of life.
Have a colourful holi !

One day to go…
Holi aane mein…
happy bath anniversary
and
HAPPY HOLI to U…

Best wishes to you for a
Holi filled with sweet moments
and memories to cherish for long.
Happy Holi!

Celebrating the colors
of our beautiful relationship,
I wish you and your family
all the bright hues of life.
Have a colourful holi !

Dil Sapno se HOUSEFUL hai, Poore honge wo doubtful hai, Is Duniya me har Chiz Wonderful hai, Par Zindagi aap jaise logo se HI COLOURFUL hai… Happy Holi

Have u done 2 most important things 2day in morning ? 1) PRAY: so u may live & 2)TAKE A BATH:so others may live, Bura na mano HOLI hai…..

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