Its Holi !

Yes, it is that time of the year again! March, board exams, winters silently slithering out and Holi.

For those who want to know a little bit about Holi,there was a demon-king named Hiranyakashipu who was very cruel and ordered everybody to worship him and not the Lord. However, his little son Prahlad refused to do so and continued to worship the almighty Lord Vishnu, the Hindu God. He tried hard to kill him but every time Lord Vishnu saved him. One of the sisters of the king named Holika had a boon to remain unscathed by fire, so she followed her brother's wishes. However, with this sinful act against Lord Narayana's devotee, Holika's boon ended and she was burnt to ashes, while Prahlad came out safe. From that day onwards Holi is celebrated as the festival of the victory of good over evil. Even today, bonfires are lit on the night before Holi in memory of the event and burning of the evil Holika. It symbolizes the victory of Good over evil.



SO, this is the one time of the year when I see an explosion of colours all over the country! People singing and dancing and eating, families coming together, smearing all the colours of gulal playfully on each other! Girls screaming with glee when beaned with water balloons and kids running around, and the parents running after them!! The old timers giving their infinite blessings with sweets to the younger ones. Water flowing everywhere, loud dance numbers playing behind, the scent of flowers and the streaks of colours like magenta, lime, bright yellow, turquoise shot in the air!



However I think I am generally afraid of getting beaned with water balloons plus the quality of colours and the very hard work that needs to be done to get ALL that off of me. Call me lazy if you want, that this is the bottom-line for me!

Still, there is something very bright and positive about this festival. It is the death of evil and the supreme reign of the power of the Lord. It is a reminder that no matter how much evil tries to take over the universe, it will always be defeated. Goodness will always remain. Love amongst people will always remain. Faith will always remain. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renew sweet relationships.



This Holi, let us enjoy the wonderful positive vibrations and pray for peace to reign, for goodness to reign, for all auspicious things to happen and for the world to be a more peaceful place to live in.

We all come together in colours.