Looking at the rainbow of colors covering people faces in the slides from India celebrates colorful beginning of spring (The Independent, March 10), made Holi, the Festival of Colors, sound like good- natured fun.
For Indian teenagers, there might be a bit of mischief night to it.
It was my first encounter with Holi, which in 2009 was celebrated on March 11.
Neeraja Ganesh reports (on China View, March 11) that gulal is the name for the colored powder used to decorate faces and that in public spaces, men and women celebrate separately.
Color represents "the advent of the Spring, as she brings colors to the land with full-blown flowers and plants."
The festival is also a day to indulge in sweet treats.
As for the holiday roots in religion and mythology "A day before the Holi, late Tuesday night, people lit
bonfires celebrating a popular Indian mythological story, Holika Dehan. The
bonfires are lit in memory of the miraculous escape of a young boy Prahalad,
when demoness Holika carried him into the fire. Lord Vishnu saved Prahlad and burnt Holika.
Destruction of Holika is called Holika Dehan and is celebrated by praying around
bonfires" the China View story adds.
There are Holi celebrations in many places, including one organized by ArtsEkta in Belfast on Sunday March 15 (image below).
Pooja Mittal-Aggarwal in From Gulal To Green: An Ecofriendly Holi (Shaadi Times) offers some tips for a Green Holi.
I just wish I had a couple pictures to illustrate this very visual festival.
We can all use a light moment or two these days.
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