Holi 2024: Holi festival is a festival that promotes the spirit of harmony.

Holi festival is an ancient festival celebrated with pomp and joy in India. According to the Hindu calendar, Holi festival is celebrated on the full moon day on the last day of Shukla Paksha of Phalgun month. Holi festival is traditionally celebrated for two days in India. Holi of worship is celebrated on the first day of the full moon day of Phalgun month. Holika Dahan takes place on this day. On this day, Holi is celebrated at many places in India with cow dung cakes or sticks. All people worship Holi according to ancient traditions, and Holika Dahan takes place at night. People circumambulate around the burning Holi and ask for wishes for themselves and their loved ones. In North India, on the day of Holika Dahan, there is a tradition of roasting wheat ears and eating them in the burning Holi. On the second day of Holi, Pratipada of Krishna Paksha of Chaitra month, Dhulendi i.e. playing Holi is celebrated. On the day of Dhulendi, people wake up early in the morning and apply gulal to each other. On this day, younger ones seek blessings from their elders by applying gulal. On this day people throw colors, Abir-Gulaal etc. on each other and celebrate Holi traditionally. On this day, colors are applied to people by going door to door. On the day of Dhulendi, Holi songs are sung and dancing is done by playing drums in the streets of India. It is believed that on the day of Holi, people forget their grudges and mutual bitterness and hug each other and become friends again.

The period of playing Holi with colors and dancing and singing continues till afternoon. After this, after taking bath and taking some rest, people wear new clothes and go to meet each other’s house in the evening. People forget their bitterness and embrace each other and feed each other traditionally made Gujiya and other sweets on Holi. If we talk about Braj, then Holi festival in Braj starts from the day of Vasant Panchami. On the day of Vasant Panchami, in place of Holika Dahan, a piece of wood symbolizing Holi is buried in all the temples and check-crossings of Braj and ancient songs of Holi are sung every day in all the ancient temples of Braj for 45 consecutive days. This ancient festival starts with Laddu Maar Holi on the Ashtami of Shukla Paksha of Phalgun month, eight days before Holi, in the village of Queen Radha ji of Braj, Barsana. After this, Lathmar Holi starts from the Navami day of Shukla Paksha of Phalgun month which continues till the end of the Holi festival. In the Lathmar Holi of Barsana, famous all over the world, women (Huriyaris) run after men (Huriyars) with their sticks and hit them with sticks. The Hurriyas protect themselves with shields. People from all over the world come to see this Lathmar Holi. This Holi takes place among the people of Radha Rani’s village Barsane and Shri Krishna’s village Nandgaon. The tradition of Lathmar Holi has been going on for centuries among the villages of Barsane and Nandgaon.

Holi festival is a festival celebrated with tradition, joy and enthusiasm all over the country. Holi festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Holi festival symbolizes the vibrant colors of the multicultural society present in our country. Holi festival is a festival that promotes the spirit of tolerance and harmony, the core of our culture and civilization in the country. This festival should be celebrated by all people in the spirit of peace, harmony and brotherhood. On this day, all the citizens of the country should rise above communal sentiments, give up their grudges and bitterness and imbue themselves with the spirit of pluralism, so that peace, harmony, prosperity and happiness can be established in the country.

– Brahmanand Rajput

Agra