The Many Legends Associated with Holi

Holi or Rang Panchami is one of the oldest Hindu festivals celebrated with much pomp and gaiety. It's reference can be found even in the sculptures on walls of old temples as well as ancient religious scriptures. The paintings and the sculptures on these walls depict couples sitting on swings and their compadres spraying colors on them and playing music. No matter what, Holi has always been about colors and mythology. There are so many legends associated with Holi that before Holi 2016 some of them should be read and remembered so that we can pass along this rich history of Indian civilization to the coming generations. The significance of Holi should not just be about colors and bhangs and delicacies but also about the reason why we celebrate it and where and how it all originated. Some of the many stories associated with Holi festival are given in the ensuing paragraphs.

The Legends and History of Holi

The Connection of Holi and Radha – Krishna

Lord Krishna, an avatar of Lord Vishnu was dark in complexion whereas His spiritual lover Radha was fair. When they were young Radha would tease Krishna about this and Krishna complained about this to His mother Yashodha. He believed that this was the injustice of nature. So Yashoda suggested Krishna to smear the face of Radha with a dark dye and change Her complexion to any color He desired. Krishna being naughty immediately embarked on this mission and applied color on the face of Radha and othe Gopis. Ancient paintings and murals depict this playful act of Krishna. This frivolous act of applying color and throwing water with water jets known as pichkaris soon became popular and evolved in to the traditional Holi. On the day of Holi people can be seen carrying the images of Krishna and Radha to commemorate the origin of Holi. The Holi celebration in Mathura, the birth place of Krishna in U.P. has special significance.

The Legend of Dhundhi

There once was an ogress Dhundhi who scared the children in the kingdom of Prithu. She was blessed with many boons but had a curse on her placed by Lord Shiva which made her vulnerable to the pranks, abuses and shouts of children. On the day of Holi the children united and chased away Dhundhi by playing pranks on her, abusing and shouting at her. It is said that because of this young boys are allowed to swear on Holi and no one takes offense.

The Famous Story of Holika and Prahlad

Once there was a demon-king Hiranyakashipu who was the ruler of the kingdom of Earth and ordered his citizen to worship him instead of the Gods. However his son Prahlad who was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu refused to oblige his father's whims. To set an example, Hiranyakashipu tried to kill his son many times but each time Lord Vishnu protected him. He then approached one of his sisters, Holika who had the boon to be unharmed by fire. He ordered her to sit in a pyre with Prahlad and kill him. But Vishnu yet again protected Prahlad and Holika perished in the fire. Holika Dahan celebrates this aspect of Holi. On the night before Holi, people light bonfires to celebrate the victory of good over evil.

The Story of Kamadeva

The death of Sati, Lord Shiva's consort hurt Him so much that He went into deep meditation and forgot His responsibilities to the world which resulted in many complications. The Gods decided to lure Shiva out of His trance with the help of Kamadeva, the God of love and lust, and Goddess Parvathi who wished to marry Shiva. Kamadeva shot His love arrow at Shiva. But Shiva had mastered all the worldly temptations and got furious at Kamadeva. He opened His third eye and reduced Kamadeva to ashes. He later granted Kamadeva immortality. This occurred on the day of Holi and hence devotees worship Kamadeva for His sacrifice.

Source : articlesbase.com