Holi: All about world's most colorful festival

Published on 20-Mar-2019

Khushboo Razdan

Holi is the day when kaleidoscopic clouds of bright shimmering colors blur all lines of class, caste and religion, and even foreigners join the locals in thronging the streets for raucous celebration of the world's most colorful festival. But fascinating legends and deep-rooted traditions lie beneath the flamboyant chaos of singing and dancing revelers.

What is Holi?

Holi is a festival celebrated by the majority Hindu population. For centuries, every year, millions of people across India and Nepal create bonfires and cover family and friends with splashes of colored powder and water to commemorate the dawn of spring season. Some say it's an "official" declaration to replace your winter wardrobe with cool summer clothes. But this carnival of colors also celebrates love, equality, fertility and the triumph of good over evil.

The festival finds a mention in the fourth century poem Jaimini Mimansa, written by ancient Nepali scholar Jaimini. Indian king Harsha also mentions "Holikotsav" in his seventh century Sanskrit love drama "Ratnavali".

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