"bura na maano Holi hai"

Holi, is known as Festival of Colours.Holi is very much a community festival, as most of the celebrations take place out of doors in large groups. “Holi” literally means “burning”. It is a popular Hindu spring festival observed in India, Guyana, Trinidad, the UK and Nepal.The religious significance of the festival of Holi is to mark the burning of selfconceit, selfishness, greed, lust, hatred, in fact all the undesirable demoniac tendencies, thoughts and behaviors.  The victory of righteous forces over demoniacal forces.

Celebration of the various legends associated with Holi reassures the people of the power of the truth as the moral of all these legends is the ultimate victory of good over evil. The legend of Hiranyakashyap and Prahlad also points to the fact that extreme devotion to God pays, as God always takes his true devotee in his shelter. All these  legends help the people to follow a good conduct in their lives and believe in the virtue of being truthful.  

Holi is also closely associated with the life and times of Krshn who is famous for his sense of mischief and light-hearted revelry. Krshn spent his childhood in an idyllic village called Gokul in Uttar Pradesh. He grew up amidst greenery in the company of cowherds and village children and had everyone spellbound by the way he played the flute. He was notorious for stealing butter, milk and other goodies from the village folk and for doing many other mischievous things. He got away with it all though, for he was so charming that no one could really be cross with him. He was also the Casanova of Indian mythology! He was the sweetheart of all women and it is said that he had the ability to ‘please’ all of them at the same time! An amazing number of paintings, sculptures and other art forms, especially of the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries celebrate Krishna and the gopis passion for each other and he is shown especially with Radha who was his favourite gopi.  Krshn used to play pranks on the girls by throwing water and paints over them .it became a favourite game with them, and one which everyone now joins in with great enthusiasm!

Today Holi is an excuse for Indians to shed inhibitions and caste differences for a day of spring fever and Big Fun. Teenagers spend the day flirting and misbehaving in the streets, adults extend the hand of peace, and everyone chases everyone else around, throwing brightly colored powder (gulal) and water over each other.

Each area celebrates Holi differently; the Bhil tribesmen of western Madhya Pradesh, who've retained many of their pre-Hindu customs, celebrate holi in a unique way.In rural Maharashtra State, where the festival it is celebrated with dancing and singing. In the towns of Rajasthan especially Jaisalmer the music's great, and clouds of pink, green colours fill the air. The grounds of Jaisalmer's Mandir Palace are turned into chaos, with dances, folk songs, and colored-powder confusion.The Elephant Festival is an annual event held every year at Jaipur the capital city of Rajasthan.this day also coincides with day of Holika Dahan, just a day before Dulendhi, when the Indian festival of colour and joy Holi is celebrated all over India turning cities and towns into a riot of colour, fun and frolic.If you are planning to visit India, are slightly adventurous and keen to experience and explore various aspects of India, this could indeed be a perfect time. The weather is balmy and the light good for photography.

wishes for Happy N Colorfull Holi- !