FESTIVAL OF HOLI:GREETINGS
History & Significance, Traditions & Celebrations
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I)The colorful festival of Holi is celebrated on Phalgun Purnima. Holi festival has an ancient origin and celebrates the triumph of 'good' over 'evil'. The colorful festival bridges the social gap and renews sweet relationships. On this day, people hug and wish each other 'Happy Holi'.
Holi celebration begins with lighting up of bonfire on the Holi eve. Numerous legends and stories associated with Holi celebration makes the festival more exuberant and vivid. People rub 'gulal' and 'abeer' on each others' faces and cheer up saying, "bura na maano Holi hai". Holi also gives a wonderful chance to send blessings and love to dear ones wrapped in a special Holi gift.
Holi - the festival of colors - is undoubtedly the most fun-filled and boisterous of Hindu festival. It's an occasion that brings in unadulterated joy and mirth, fun and play, music and dance, and, of course, lots of bright colors.
With winter neatly tucked up in the attic, it's time to come out of our cocoons and enjoy this spring festival. The new crop refills the stores in every household and perhaps such abundance accounts for the riotous merriment during Holi. This also explains the other names of this celebration - 'Vasant Mahotsava' and 'Kama Mahotsava'.
During Holi, practices which at other times could be offensive, are allowed. Squirting colored water on passers-by, dunking friends in mud pool amidst teasing and laughter, getting intoxicated on 'bhaang' and reveling with companions is perfectly acceptable. In fact, on the day of Holi, you can get away with almost anything by saying, "Don't mind, it's Holi!
II)When love is in the air, you know it is time to celebrate Holi. The festival does not recognize any bars of caste, class or creed. Drenched in colours, everybody comes to resemble each other losing their original self. This is the beauty of this festival. Its uniqueness lies in the fact that this festival treats everybody at par, all differences dissolve in the coloured water that flows in plenty in it.
Holi Milan
Holi calls to put an end to any hard feelings that might have cropped up during the year. People apply colour and give each other a friends hug as they greet Holi, the tradition is called, 'Holi Milan'. It is strongly believed that even enemies turn friend on the day of Holi.
Usually, after a heavy and energetic day of colourful Holi people dress themselves in new clothes and visit friends and relatives with a packet of sweets. This exchange of sweets helps to strengthen and bring joy in relationships. A plate or thali is kept ready in houses with tilak and sweets. People apply tilak, offer sweets and hug each other as they meet the traditional holi and give their best wishes for the festival.
Festivals are the time when people want to be in the company of the people who are close to their hearts.Those at a distant and far off places are greeted with the help of cards and more so through telephone. But greet they must.
Special invitations are extended to the new brides for the festive occasion of Holi. This helps to bring warmth in the relationships and gives a comfortable and joyous opportunity for the new bride to mingle with the new people in her in-laws house. Family of the newly wedded daughter is also invited and special Holi meal is prepared for them.
Holi Meets
'Holi Greeting Meets' or 'Holi Milan Samaroh' are organised by numerous clubs and social organisations. This helps the society to mix with each other and enjoy the festival for usually, songs, dance, competitions and feasts are organised in such get togethers. These meets have gained so much popularity that they usually go on days after Holi. After all, who likes to get out of the spirit of Holi!!
III)Festival of Colours
The festival of colours is Holi, it is vibrant and filled with beautiful colours. Holi is considered as one of major festival in India. It is celebrated in the month of Phalgun on full moon day according to Hindu calendar.
With the onset of spring, northern India gets into the colourful mood of Holi. This festival also denotes celebration due to good harvests and land’s fertility. This colourful festival also celebrates the eternal love of Radha and Krishna. This festival is celebrated in a grand style in the city of Mathura and Vrindavan. These are two important cities which are deeply associated to Lord Krishna.
The festival of colours teaches humankind to transcend above the caste and creed. It is a festival to forget old grievances and meeting others with great warmth & high spirit. This festival begins with lightening of bonfire on Holi eve. Next day, people play Holi with different types of colours, abirs and gulals. They greet each other with “Shubh Holi†i.e. Happy Holi and send warm wishes of the festival.
Kids and adults come out of their house and smear each other with bright shades of gulal. Colouful waters are sprinkled on people and kids are found playing with pichkari and water balloons. People exchange sweets, Thandai and snacks among neighbours and friends. Popular Holi sweets are Gujiya, Ladoo, Burfi and Imarti etc. Indian festive celebration is incomplete without delicious sweets.
People also dance in the beats of Holi songs and popular folk’s music. Exchange of holi gifts, snack hampers, dry fruits and greeting cards are also found.
Holi festival has religious and historical significance in Hindu texts. There was very popular mythological legend about king 'Hiranyakashyapu' and his son “Prahladâ€. The devil king used to hate God esp. Lord Vishnu and threatened people in his kingdom to stop worshipping him. But this King’s own son was a verdant devotee of Lord Vishnu.
He denied to obey his father’s command and this infuriated the king. Hiranyakashyapu instructed his sister 'Holika' to pulverize his own son Prahald. Holika had the boon to being immune to fire. She was absolutely sure that she would not get affected by the blazing fire and took seat on the fire with young Prahlad. Lord Vishnu rendered protection of his devotee Prahlad and he was alive but Holika was burnt into death. Thereof, the festival of Holi signifies the victory of good over evil.
Today, the festival of colour gives us an opportunity to reunite with family, friends and dear ones. This festivity brings colours into the life of people, when they can take a break from their monotonous life and share the joy with loved ones. Everyone plays Holi by chasing each other and throwing bright gulal and coloured water.
COLLECTIONS : R.B.KISHORE :VP, AIRIEF
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Let us pray to the Almighty to shower His Blessings on this Pensioners Fraternity, on the eve of historic 30 March 2016 SC BENCH hearing in Court No 4
Let us have an open mind,free from doubts or prejudice,breathe optimism & pragmatism,as our case,from ALL ANGLES, is STRONG, SOLID,& judged by copious case laws,old & new,& hint given earlier by Hon Dipak Misra that ,as it involves matters of pension, in continuum,& his own forthright 1 July 2015 judgement that anamolies ,hostile discrimination of 6/7 cadres below getting higher pension than their seniors has to be rectified through pension upgradation,
let that noble spirit pervade & permeate the Court room,
let there be mirth & merriment,
let there be a Rainbow of colours,
let us all dance with joy & gladness,
let there be a Rainbow of Colours,
let that time dawn for all pensioners to discard frustration,
let us embrace wholeheartedly friendship & camaraderie,,
let HOLI prove to be holy in every sense of the term .to shower petals of Prosperity
let that be a turning point for eternal optimism & splendid achievement
let that victory be written in Letters of Gold
Greetings,Goodluck & Godspeed,
R.B.KISHORE
VP,AIRIEF
