Essay on Holi Festival | Why is Holi Celebrated

This article will help students to write an Essay on Holi, why is Holi celebrated, how is Holi celebrated in India, What is Holi festival. After reading today’s article you will be able to write a long or short essay on Holi festival in India.

Essay on Holi | Why is Holi Celebrated | Holi Essay

Holi is a festival of colours. It is celebrated by all on a large scale all over India. It is a two-day long festival. Chhoti Holi or Holi Dahan is celebrated on an earlier day. It is followed by faag or badi holi. On the day of Holi Dahan, a bonfire of sticks is lit in an open place, park or temple. The next day people throw colour and water on each other and enjoy the festival of Holi. 

It is celebrated in the month of March (called Phalguna in India). It falls on the full moon day of Phalguna month. It signifies the advent of the spring season and the end of the winter season. As the beginning of spring scatters colours on the Earth in the form of beautiful flowers and leaves, people try to simulate the same by applying colours to each other and expect their life to be bright and colourful like these colours of Holi.

Why is Holi celebrated – Holi Legends – Hiranayakashyap, Holika, Prahlad

There is always a legend connected with every festival. Many legends are behind the celebration of the Holi festival. There was a king named Hiranyakashyap who became very powerful with the magical powers given to him by Lord Brahma. He pleased Brahma with his prayers and received a boon that he could not be killed by humans, animals, God or any weapon.

After getting this blessing he considered himself equivalent to God. He wanted everyone to worship him as God. But his own son, Prahlad, was a strong disciple of Vishnu. After many persuasions, Prahlad did not stop worshipping Vishnu.

It infuriated Hiranyakashyap and he planned with his sister Holika to burn Prahlad In fire. Holika had a boon that fire couldn’t burn her. So, overconfident Holika took Prahlad in her lap and sat in a bonfire. But Holika turned to ashes and Prahlad came out untouched.

Later on, Hiranyakashyap was also killed by the Narsingh avatar of Vishnu. Since then it is believed that Prahlad was saved for his devotion by Vishnu and Holika had to die for her evil thoughts. This shows the victory of good over bad.

Holi of Barsana or Holi of Brij Village

It has originated from a playful teasing game of Radha and Krishna. Krishna, a lad of Brij village was in the habit of visiting a nearby village, Barsana, with his gang. They used to play tricks to disturb the girls of Barsana including Radha. Sometimes they stole their clothes while the girls were bathing. Any other time threw pebbles on girls’ earthen pots, many times smeared colours and cow dung over the girls’ faces. This tradition has continued over the years and taken the form of the Holi festival.

Scientific Reason Behind Holi Celebration

Although we carry over the tradition of celebrating our festivals but slowly and gradually their form has been spoiled and significance has been forgotten. Holi comes at the onset of the summer season. The tradition of playing with water and colour might have started to wash away the laziness that resides in the human body in the winter season.

The colours used for playing Holi were made from flowers and herbs. Their aroma and colours blow away the bacteria present in the environment and make our bodies active by opening our senses with their alluring fragrance.

Wrong Practices Followed on Holi

Skin Allergy

But, today we use chemical-based colours (as these are cheap and easily available) which damage our skin leaving an impression of a chemical attack on our skin in the form of rashes, cuts, wounds and skin discolouration. People with sensitive skin and teenagers with acne-prone skin are the most troubled.

Water Filled Balloon Bomb

Kids sometimes forcefully apply colour to each other which may penetrate into others’ eyes, nose or even mouth. It can be very risky. To add to the woes kids throw water and colour filled balloons on each other.  Kids are ignorant of the fact that a balloon thrown on a moving two-wheeler may even cause the loss of life for someone. A water-filled balloon thrown suddenly from height hits like a bullet.

Many casualties are filed due to these practices spoiling the enjoyment of the victim for many days; sometimes lifelong disabilities may be faced. But, we can teach our kids to play Holi in a safe way. Schools can help in this purpose. Awareness programs are telecasted on television and uploaded on youtube every year.

Eve-teasing on Holi

Some dirty-minded people try to spoil the fun by drinking alcohol and indulging in gambling and eve-teasing. Men can be aggressive when throwing foam or powder on the females’ faces. Some males cross the line and try to touch women aggressively at private parts. Women are often groped during Holi.

Gunjia Recipe for Holi

India has a special recipe for every festivity. Holi is incomplete without a special syrupy dish called Gujiya or Gunjiya. It is a half-moon shaped golden brown coloured sweet dipped in sugar syrup. It is stuffed with yummy almonds, pistachios, shredded coconut with some condensed and hardened milk. Upon biting the hard crust, it just melts into the mouth and the taste is heavenly. Gujiya is known by various names in different parts of India. Purukiya in Bihar, Gughra in Gujarat, Karanji in Maharashtra and Kajjikaya in the southern states of India.

You are reading a long essay on the Holi festival in India

Thandai or Bhaang on Holi

Thandai is another name that can’t be left when we are discussing holi. It is a healthy thirst quencher. This drink is a summer favourite prepared in Indian households at holi which is the beginning of the summer season and consumed throughout the summer to beat the heat. Besides healthy thandai an intoxicating version of thandai is very popular among folks which is prepared by mixing hump seeds known as ‘bhang’.  After drinking bhang people go out of their senses for some hours and just forget all their worldly tensions and enjoy holi.

Benefits of thandai:

  1. Thirst Quencher
  2. Cures constipation
  3. Helps in Digestion
  4. Mood Enhancer
  5. Energy Booster

In the morning people play Holi then after taking a bath and cleaning themselves, wear new clothes, sing loud music, exchange gifts and sweets.

 How to remove Holi Colour

It is not an easy task to clean the mix of various powders of colours, foam and water. One needs many buckets of water, face washes and body washes to get rid of this colour. Even after scrubbing for hours, one can’t erase all the colour. It takes 10 to 15 days for the nails to come back in their original colour. Indian mothers help family members by providing certain home remedies to get rid of holi colour. Raw milk, chickpea flour or coconut oil etc are used to wash away the coloured body.

Precautions for Holi:

  • Play in streets or open parks; playing at roof or terrace can be very dangerous; kids may fall over in excitement
  • Keep your body fully covered by wearing full sleeved shirts and pants; thick denims are the best option
  • Keep aside camera and cell phones or any type of electronic gadget as water and color may damage it
  • Females should take off necklace, earrings and rings because these can be lost
  • Wear such clothes that you don’t need again
  • Keep an eye on your younger kids as they may be lost with the mob as everybody looks the same on this day
  • Keep your spectacles safely
  • Long haired people specially females should tie their hair tightly so that they are not pulled off while playing
  • Apply oil and creams all over your body, face and hair so that they catch less color.

Conclusion: Essay on Holi festival

Holi festival has traditional, biological, social, and scientific significance. We must carry on celebrating the age-old festival by taking the necessary precautions to avoid unwanted factors. We should spread the colours of joy and happiness everywhere.

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बैसाखी पर निबंध
रक्षा बंधन पर निबंध|रक्षा बंधन क्यों मनाया जाता है|
होली पर निबंध | होली क्यों मनाई जाती है

      Word      Meaning
LegendsA traditional or historical story
Bonfire    A large fire built in the open air
Signify    to indicate
Advent origin of something
Scatter   thrown in various directions
BoonA Favour
QuencherA refreshing drink
Holi Essay new words

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