HAPPY HOLI TO ALL MY FRIENDS!!

I know this post should have come on 15th March , but since that day is an official holiday , I have posted it today!! How about some information on Holi -
What is it all about
Why is it celebrated
How can you make colours at home
What is it called all over India

I AM SO PROUD TO BE AN INDIAN BECAUSE INDIA IS SUCH A COULOURFUL COUNTRY WITH SO MANY FESTIVALS TO CELEBRATE , EACH IN ITS UNIQUE WAY!!

Holi Festival
“One of the major festivals of India, Holi is celebrated with enthusiasm and gaiety on the full moon day in the month of Phalgun which is the month of March as per the Gregorian calendar."

Holi festival may be celebrated with various names and people of different states might be following different traditions. But, what makes Holi so unique and special is the spirit of it which remains the same throughout the country and even across the globe, wherever it is celebrated.
Preparations:
The entire country wears a festive look when it is time for Holi celebration. Market places get abuzz with activity as frenzied shoppers start making preparations for the festival. Heaps of various hues of gulal and abeer can be seen on the roadside, days before the festival. Pichkaris in innovative and modern design too come up every year to lure the children who wish to collect them as Holi memorabilia and of course, to drench everybody in the town. Womenfolk too start making early preparations for the holi festival as they cook loads of gujiya, mathri and papri for the family and also for the relatives. At some places specially in the north women also make papads and potato chips at this time. Season of Bloom Everybody gets delighted at the arrival of Holi as the season itself is so gay. Holi is also called the Spring Festival - as it marks the arrival of spring the season of hope and joy. The gloom of the winter disappear as Holi promises bright summer days ahead. Nature too, it seems rejoices at the arrival of Holi and wears its best clothes. Fields get filled with crops promising a good harvest to the farmers and flowers bloom colouring the surroundings and filling fragrance in the air.
Holika Dahan:
On the eve of Holi, called Chhoti or Small Holi people gather at important crossroads and light huge bonfires, the ceremony is called Holika Dahan. This tradition is also followed in Gujarat and Orissa. To render greatfulness to Agni, god of Fire, gram and stalks from the harvest are also offered to Agni with all humility. Ash left from this bonfire is also considered sacred and people apply it on their foreheads. People believe that the ash protects them from evil forces.
Play of Colors:Great excitement can be seen in people on the next day when it is actually the time for the play of colours. Shops and offices remain closed for the day and people get all the time to get crazy and whacky. Bright colours of gulal and abeer fill the air and people take turns in pouring colour water over each other. Children take special delight in spraying colours on one another with their pichkaris and throwing water balloons at passers by. Women and senior citizen form groups called tolis and move in colonies - applying colours and exchanging greetings. Songs, dance on the rhythm of dholak and mouthwatering Holi delicacies are the other highlights of the day.
Expression of Love:
Lovers too long to apply colours on their beloved. This has a popular legend behind it. It is said that the naughty and mischievous Lord Krishna started the trend of playing colours. He applied colour on her beloved Radha to make her one like him. The trend soon gained popularity amongst the masses. No wonder, there is no match to the Holi of Mathura, Vrindavan and Barsana - the places associated with the birth and childhood of Radha and Krishna.
Ecstasy of Bhang:
There is also a tradition of consuming the very intoxicating bhang on this day to further enhance the spirit of Holi. Sober Evening After a fun filled and exciting day, the evenings are spent in sobriety when people meet friends and relatives and exchange sweets and festive greetings. It is said the spirit of Holi encourages the feeling of brotherhood in society and even the enemies turn friends on this day. People of all communities and even religions participate in this joyous and colorful festival and strengthen the secular fabric of the nation.

In some parts of India, especially in Bengal and Orissa, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486-1533). However, the literal meaning of the word 'Holi' is 'burning'. There are various legends to explain the meaning of this word, most prominent of all is the legend associated with demon king Hiranyakashyap.

Hiranyakashyap wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana. Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage to herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone. As a result she paid a price for her sinister desires, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the god for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion.
Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with the play of colors as the Lord started the tradition of play with colours by applying colour on his beloved Radha and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity with the people and became a tradition. There are also a few other legends associated with the festival - like the legend of Shiva and Kaamadeva and those of Ogress Dhundhi and Pootana. All depict triumph of good over evil - lending a philosophy to the festival.

Holi Colors

Colors are the most joyous part of the Holi celebrations. They add life and vitality to the festival making it most vibrant of all. On the day of Holi euphoria fills the very air in India and clouds of colours can be seen everywhere. Energetic and joyful people move out in-groups and throw holi gulal and abeer on friends and dear ones. Singing and dancing on the beats of dholak add more joy to the festivities.

Play of Colors:
The tradition of playing colors on Holi is extremely popular amongst children. They eagerly wait for a prey with a bucket full of colour water, an ever ready water jet- popularly called a pichkari and loads of colour packets to give vent to their mischief nature. And nobody is supposed to mind the mischief of the kids or the elders, as the rule of the day is 'Bura na mano Holi hai'. (Please do not take any offence for it is Holi). The spirit of Holi knows no bound particularly in houses that witness the arrival of a new bride as everybody wishes to play Holi with her. At some places Holi parties are also organized where the color and water flows endlessly till everybody becomes absolutely drenched in colours of love and life.
Use of Natural Colors:In present times, a great change has been noticed in Holi celebrations. People are reviving the use of natural colors as against the harmful chemical colours. Days before the festival many people start preparing aromatic natural colours at home while many others buy these from shops The use of natual colours in Holi has made Holi celebrations much more enjoyable and gay.
Some Recipes for Natural Colours :Here're all the recipes that'll make your Holi naturally colorful! Learn how to get reds, greens, blues, saffrons, yellows and magentas from fruits, vegetables, flowers and cereals... all at home.


Red:Dry: Red Sandalwood Powder / Raktachandan / Lalchandan (Pterocarpus santalinus) has a beautiful red color, which is beneficial for the skin and is used for face packs, etc. This can be used instead of Red gulal. Dry red hibiscus flowers in the shade and powder it to make a lovely red color. To increase the bulk add any flour to it, in proportion to the vibrancy of the color you want to obtain. Sinduria (Annato) has a water chestnut shaped fruit, which contains lovely brick color red seeds. These yield both dry and wet colors. Wet: Put two teaspoons of Red Sandalwood powder in five litres of water and boil. Dilute with 20 litres of water. Peels of Red Pomegranate boiled in water give red. Mix a pinch of lime powder (the one that we eat with our paan / betel leaves) in half a cup of water and add 2 table spoon of haldi (turmeric) powder in it. Mix it thoroughly. Use only after diluting with 10 litres of water.Buras (Rhododentron arboreum) known as Burans in the Garhwal hills and Brand in the Kumaon hills gives a lovely red color when soaked in water overnight. The Palita Madar /Pangri/Indian Coral tree (Erythrina indica), found commonly in coastal regions, has large red flowers. Soak the flowers in water overnight. Boil wood of Madder Tree in water for a deep red. Red color can also be obtained from juice of tomatoes and carrots. This can be diluted with sufficient quantity of water to remove the stickiness.

Green:Dry: Use mehendi henna powder (not mixed with amla) separately or mix with equal quantity of any flour to attain a lovely green shade. Dry mehendi will not leave color on your face as it can be easily brushed off. Only mehendi mixed in water might leave a slight color on your face. Many people like smearing other person's hair with colors. How about doing it with mehendi powder and saving a trip to the parlor? Dry and finely powder the leaves of Gulmohur tree for a green. Crush the tender leaves of the Wheat plant to obtain a natural safe green Holi color. Wet: Mix two teaspoons of mehendi in one litre of water. Stir well. Green color can also be obtained by mixing a fine paste of leaves like spinach / palak, coriander / dhaniya, mint / pudina, etc. in water.

Magenta: Wet: Slice or grate one Beet root. Soak in 1 litre of water for a wonderful magenta. Leave overnight for a deeper shade. Dilute with water. Boil the peels of 10-15 onions in half litre of water for an orangish-pink color. Remove the peels before using to remove the smell.

Saffron: Wet: The Flame of the Forest (Butea monosperma), known as Tesu, Palash or Dhak in Indian languages, is the source of the wonderful, traditional color for Holi. The flowers are soaked overnight in water and can also be boiled to obtain a fragrant yellowish orange colored water. Legends say Lord Krishna used to play Holi with Tesu flowers, which also have some medicinal properties. Boil flowers petals of Semul / Silk Cotton, a red variety of Bombax ceiba) in water. Both Tesu and Semul bloom during February March. Collect and dry the stalks of Harashringar / Parijatak (Nyctanthes arbontristis) flowers during the early winter season. Soak them in water to get a pleasant orange color. Mix a pinch of sandalwood powder in 1 litre of water for an instant, beautiful and fragrant saffron color. Soak a few stalks of Saffron/Kesar in 2 table spoons of water. Leave for few hours and grind to make a fine paste. Dilute with water for desired color strength. Though expensive, it is excellent for the skin.

Yellows:Dry: Mix two teaspoons of haldi / turmeric powder with double the quantity of besan (gram flour). Haldi and besan are extremely healthy for our skin, and are also used widely as a ubtan while taking bath. You can use the ordinary haldi or "kasturi" haldi which is very fragrant and has enhanced therapeutic effects. Besan can be substituted by wheat / rice / arrowroot flour or talcum powder. Flowers like Amaltas (Cassia fistula), Marigold / Gainda (Tagetus erecta), and Yellow Chrysanthemums yield different shades of yellow. Dry the petals of these floweres in shade and crush them to obtain a fine powder. Take appropriate quantity of the powder and mix it with besan or use separately. Dry the rind of the Bael fruit (Aegle marmelos) and grind to obtain a yellow colored powder. Wet: Add one teaspoon of haldi to two litres of water and stir well. This can be boiled to increase the concentration of color and further diluted. Soak 50 marigold flowers in 2 litres of water. Boil and leave overnight.

Bright Blue :Dry: Jacaranda flowers can be dried in the shade and ground to obtain a beautiful blue powder. The flowers bloom in summers. The blue Hibiscus (found in Kerala) can be dried and powdered. Wet: Crush berries of the Indigo tree and add to water for desired color strength. In some Indigo species the leaves when boiled in water yield a rich blue.

Regional Names of Holi

Popularity of Holi can be gauged from the number of names Holi has in different states. Also of great interest is the story behind each of these names. As one moves across from one state to another, one can surely discover the myriad shades of human emotions behind the story that goes with each of these names of holi. These stories will make you feel proud of the rich cultural diversity of India. Besides, what is to be appreciated is the underlying strong bond of unity that binds this uniquely culturally diverse country. Even the Gods that are worshiped on Holi differ in different corners of the country. The way the festival is celebrated also differs but the spirit is same - the one of love and brotherhood. Inspite of their uniqueness in different states, the festival is considered to be the one which enhances the secular fabric of India.

Different names of Holi:·
Lathmaar Holi ·
Dulandi Holi ·
Rangpanchami ·
Basant Utsav ·
Dol Purnima ·
Hola Mohalla ·
Shimgo ·
Kaman Pandigai ·
Phagu Purnima