First time, I was not in Benares in Holi.
Since I remember, I was always with the family on HOLI festival.
Last year, It was a well spect 5-6 days in Varanasi. We went to do some shopping....one of the most important aspect for quite some years is the famous Holi edition of Gandeev, a local newspaper published in evening. The publication is filled with hard core sattire and at times may be seen pretty rough.
It targets anyone and everyone from important part of political, entertainment or whoswho of every aspect of life.
It's well made fun of all such important characters and a pleasure to read around this time.
In Varanasi, Holi is all about "Masti" fun. Life doesn't have the dimension named TIME in Varanasi and around this time of the year, it's even more visible.
BUT in year 2015, I had to be in Greater Noida...my nephew's 12th examination has been held in March. The holi which is an affair of 3-4 days in Varanasi and even extend to more days is so limited...I came to know. It was half a day function and the weather in this time had made the HOLI challenge. As published recently in news, March 6th was suppsed to be coldest in last 100 years. The persistent viral (including H1N1 type) has been on spread and any fever and cold very much make people alert, worried of it.
Anyways, It all started with one of dear friend who came home and involved all of us...coloring me, Chitrakshi. Khushboo was spared as she was busy with home affairs.
In a way, we were forced to come out around 11:00 AM ( which is a bit late ). joined with all others around us, colored Dhapak and few other friends and reached the place named Mughal Garden of Eldeco Green Meadows. The place was very crowded with a DJ on with all the new songs and people around it were already gone mad. Completely colored, all were dancing like anything and less interested in meeting, playing HOLI. This was the significant difference as described from our kind of HOLI but anyway, everyone has it's own way of celebrating.
There's all around colors, music and all fun !
After we joined Krishna's place, the dirt HOLI also took place with the mud. It was something of the past when we were kid...the difference was that in childhood, we were not caring if the mud used to be clean :-) After getting colored, it was all fun !
Since I remember, I was always with the family on HOLI festival.
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| Traditional Holi collection in moden days (in Varanasi) |
It targets anyone and everyone from important part of political, entertainment or whoswho of every aspect of life.
It's well made fun of all such important characters and a pleasure to read around this time.
In Varanasi, Holi is all about "Masti" fun. Life doesn't have the dimension named TIME in Varanasi and around this time of the year, it's even more visible.
BUT in year 2015, I had to be in Greater Noida...my nephew's 12th examination has been held in March. The holi which is an affair of 3-4 days in Varanasi and even extend to more days is so limited...I came to know. It was half a day function and the weather in this time had made the HOLI challenge. As published recently in news, March 6th was suppsed to be coldest in last 100 years. The persistent viral (including H1N1 type) has been on spread and any fever and cold very much make people alert, worried of it.
Anyways, It all started with one of dear friend who came home and involved all of us...coloring me, Chitrakshi. Khushboo was spared as she was busy with home affairs.
In a way, we were forced to come out around 11:00 AM ( which is a bit late ). joined with all others around us, colored Dhapak and few other friends and reached the place named Mughal Garden of Eldeco Green Meadows. The place was very crowded with a DJ on with all the new songs and people around it were already gone mad. Completely colored, all were dancing like anything and less interested in meeting, playing HOLI. This was the significant difference as described from our kind of HOLI but anyway, everyone has it's own way of celebrating.
There's all around colors, music and all fun !
After we joined Krishna's place, the dirt HOLI also took place with the mud. It was something of the past when we were kid...the difference was that in childhood, we were not caring if the mud used to be clean :-) After getting colored, it was all fun !
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| All colored equally - except few had more layers on face ! Around 2:00 PM, we were back and the task was now to clean up. Chitrakshi was already shaking as she already had a lot water on herself. The weather so far had been sunny and hence it was just fine. Cleaning up and bathing....a good lunch (Kachoris with Palak Paneer....) and then a short nap ! HOLI of a day almost ends ! Watched the India winning WestIndies in half asleep. Happy Holi ! I wish if I be in Beneres next HOLI onwards. -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Why do we celebrate HOLI ?
There was a king Hiranykashyap who had a boon of god and became so adamant that he started considering himself as GOD Vishnu.
As he became immortel, his arrogance grew day by day. To teach him a lesson, Vishnu got birth as his son who got named Prahlad or Hiranykashyap's son Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Vishnu and refused to consider his father as GOD. With his evil sister Holika, Hiranykashyap played a trick.
Holika sat with Prahlad on a pyre to prove with a cloak whish could save her and engross Prahlad as per plan...but with the blessings, cloak disappaeared and Holika burned into pyre and Prahlad was saved by Lord Vishnu.
Vishnu appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, of fire that burned Holika. The day after Holika bonfire is celebrated as Holi.
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