Holi

The festival of Holi symbolizes the victory of good over evil. It also marks the advent of spring and people celebrate it joyously with a splash of color. It is the most boisterous of all Hindu festivals, observed all over India, especially the North. It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The night before the full moon, crowds of people gather together and light huge bonfires to burn the residual dried leaves and twigs of the winter. People throw colored water with pichkaari (a traditional device to spray coloured water), gubbare (balloons filled with coloured water) and gulal (colour powder) at each other and make merry. Singing and dancing add to the gaiety of the occasion.

In the northern, western and eastern regions, Holi celebrates the joyful Raasleela (dance) of Lord Krishna and the Gopis. Holi, also known as phag, is a joyous celebration of the rejuvenation of nature and renewed hope of happiness and peaceful coexistence. Especially famous is the lathmaar Holi of Barsana and Nandgaon. In Anandpur Sahib in Punjab, Sikhs celebrate a special festival called Hola Mohalla on the day after Holi. It marks a display of ancient martial arts and mock battles. Holi is also an occasion for the celebration of the burning of Lord Kama, the Hindu equivalent of Cupid, with the fire that emanated from Lord Shiva's third eye and also symbolizes the burning of demoness Holika.

Till date people burn effigies of Holika.