Holi is one of the most ancient festivals, which finds an honoured mention in our old Sanskrit texts like Dashakumar Charit and Garud Puran. Even the play “Ratnavali” written by Harshdev in 7th century contains a delightful description of Holi festival. In those days Holi was celebrated as “Vasantotsav”. Acclaiming it as a spring festival Mahakavi Kalidas has called it “Madanotsav”. The famous Bhavbhooti in his play “Maltic-Madhav” mentioned that the King mingled with his subjects and shared the maddening merriment of Holi.
Originally Holi is a festival to celebrate good harvests and fertility of the land. There are many legends concerning the origin of this spring festival. The most popular among these concerns Prince Prahlad, the god-fearing son of the evil King Hiranyakasipu. Prahlad did not give up worshipping the god Vishnu in spite of fearful persecution by his father and his demon aunt Holika, who was deputed by her brother to kill young Prahlad. Ultimately, when Holika who was immune to death by fire, took Prahlad and entered a blazing furnace built for his destruction, it was the wicked Holika who was burnt to ashes by divine intervention, while Prahlad came out unscathed. Before she died, she realised her follies and begged the boy’s forgiveness. As his gesture of forgiveness, Prahlad deemed that her name would be remembered at least one day in the year. Holi commemorates this event from mythology, and huge bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi as its symbolic representation. In South India specially in Tamilnadu and Kerala the legend that is popular is of Kamdev-the Love-god, his bow is of sugarcane having the string of a line of humming bees and his arrow-shafts are topped with passion that pierce the heart. In spring he moves through woodlands and hunts birds, beasts and men. Once in his foolish pride, he aimed his arrow at the mighty Lord Shiv who was in deep meditation. Lord Shiv opened his third eye and burnt him to ashes. Grief-stricken Rati, Kamdev’s wife beseeched Lord Shiv to take pity on her and restore her husband to life. Shiv relented and granted her the boon that she could see her husband but he would remain “anang” that meant without the physical human form. Hence, the songs sung during Holi tell the pathetic tale of Rati and her lamentations. In Tamilnadu, Holi is known by three different names - Kamavilas, Kaman Pandigai and Kama-dahanam. Lord Krishna, the 8th incarnation of Lord Vishnu is also worshipped during the Holi festival, which is celebrated as a commemoration of a mythological incident. Putana, the she-demon was sent by the cruel king Kamsa to kill the child Krishna. In guise of a beautiful woman, Putana went about in the village of Nandgaon suckling every child to death. But the infant Krishna sucked her breasts till blood started flowing and she succumbed to her death. Hence, on the previous evening of the Holi day, bonfires are lighted to celebrate the victory of Krishna and the death of Putana. Those who attribute the origin of festivals to seasonal cycles maintain that Putana represents winter and her death the cessation and end of winter. This exuberant festival is also associated with the immortal love of Krishna and Radha. The young Krishna would complain to his mother Yashoda about why Radha was so fair and he so dark. Yashoda advised him to apply colour on Radha’s face and see how her complexion would change. Holi is celebrated with particular eclat in the villages around Mathura, the birth-place of Krishna. Down the ages, civilisation has advanced leaps and bounds, but the spirit of Holi remains the same. Each year, without fail, the old and the young alike, gather into groups and indulge in a riot of colours.