Millions of Hindus around the world are celebrating Holi, the festival of colours that marks the beginning of the spring season in the Indian subcontinent.
With a significant fall in COVID cases after two years of battling the virus, people are observing the festivity on Friday after last year’s muted celebrations.
Here is what we know about Holi:
When is Holi celebrated?
Holi is celebrated in Phagun, the 12th month of the Hindu calendar, which corresponds to February or March in the Gregorian calendar. This year, the festival is being celebrated on March 18, though the festivities tend to run longer in some places.
What’s the story behind Holi?
Holi celebrates the triumph of good over evil and there are various stories about its origin.
The most popular legend in Hindu mythology says the festival marks Lord Vishnu’s triumph over King Hiranyakashyapu, who killed anyone who disobeyed him or worshipped other gods.
The king had a son called Prahlad who never worshipped his father and worshipped Vishnu instead. Hiranyakashyapu was so displeased that he conspired with his sister Holika to kill his son.
Holika agreed to kill her nephew, luring Prahlad into a pyre and trying to burn him. However, Vishnu came to Prahlad’s rescue and Holika ended up burning in the pyre.
To this day, Hindu devotees celebrate Holika Dahan on the eve of Holi to mark this event by making bonfires in their neighbourhoods.
How long does Holi last?
The celebration of Holi usually lasts for two days, with Holika Dahan and a day of throwing colours on each other being its highlights.
On the day of Holi, people of all ages take to the streets to smear each other with dry or wet paint and get showered in powdered colour and water. There is a lot of dancing and singing.
“People even stand on their rooftops to throw water balloons on random people walking on the streets,” Sashreek Garg, who comes from Una in India’s northern Himachal Pradesh state, told Al Jazeera.
“It’s my favourite festival. It binds people, cultures and even strangers together. Now that I am away from home I miss that feeling of coming together,” said Garg, who is currently a university student in Qatar.
Vaamika Shrivastava, another Indian from the central Madhya Pradesh state, also says Holi brings people together and that the festival has outgrown its religious boundaries.
Shrivastava says she lived in various places in India and everywhere she saw one constant: Holi.
“In every new place we lived, we used to have Holi parties in an open area in the neighbourhood with lots of colours, water guns and music and it was a party for everyone,” she told Al Jazeera.
“Holi is more than just the religion it comes from. It is about love and celebrating the colours of life at the onset of spring.”
Where is Holi celebrated?
Holi is celebrated in most parts of India, with each region having its own traditions. The celebrations in northern India tend to be more colourful and vivid while those in the south focus mainly on religious and temple rituals.
However, even among the northern states, there is a difference in how long the celebrations last and what people do. Garg, for instance, has never participated in a Holika Dahan bonfire on the eve of Holi. “In Himachal, we don’t do bonfires,” he said.
Andre Visperas is a Hindu practitioner from the Philippines. He said he celebrated Holi for the first time when he went to India for a pilgrimage in Uttar Pradesh state in 2009.
“Before that, I celebrated Holi on my own but I only celebrated the spiritual aspect of it rather than the celebratory traditions such as the throwing of coloured powder,” Visperas told Al Jazeera.
Holi is also celebrated in other South Asian countries like Nepal, Pakistan and Bangladesh which have a sizeable Hindu population. It is also celebrated by the Hindu diaspora in various countries, including the United States, United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.
Greetings on social media
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi posted a message in Hindi language on Twitter, wishing people a festival filled with “love and brotherhood”.
आप सभी को होली की हार्दिक शुभकामनाएं। आपसी प्रेम, स्नेह और भाईचारे का प्रतीक यह रंगोत्सव आप सभी के जीवन में खुशियों का हर रंग लेकर आए।
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) March 18, 2022
Modi’s Pakistani counterpart Imran Khan also wished the Hindu community across the world.
Wishing all our Hindu community a very happy Holi, the festival of colours.
— Imran Khan (@ImranKhanPTI) March 18, 2022
Shilpa Kundra, actress and entrepreneur, sent a message wishing her followers a Holi “showered with all the colours of happiness”.
May all your worries and grief burn away in the Holika fire.
It is the season of new beginnings, a new harvest, a new moon, and a new zeal for life… May you be showered with all the colours of happiness and love. Happy Holi to you & your dear ones! 🎨😍❤️#HappyHoli #holi2022 pic.twitter.com/Dt2OBASOx9— SHILPA SHETTY KUNDRA (@TheShilpaShetty) March 18, 2022
And Indian cricketer Suresh Raina and Vandana Katariya, a player of the Indian women’s hockey team, also took to Twitter and congratulated their followers.
Wishing everyone a #HappyHoli 🌈 Sending all the love and blessings along with the fun Holi spirit..
May the colours bring joy and prosperity to your lives today and forever.❤️— Suresh Raina🇮🇳 (@ImRaina) March 18, 2022
It's that time of the year again, it's Holi time 🌈
Let's celebrate with colours, wash away our negativities and celebrate and enjoy the day to the fullest together ✨#HappyHoli #Holi #Colours— Vandana Katariya (@VandanaHockey16) March 18, 2022
