There are 12 months in the Indian calendar. Each month is holy in its own way, starting with Shukla Padyami (the day after new-moon day) and ending with full-noon day. In fact there are two ways to calculate the lunar month---one is ending with Poornima and the other is ending with Amaavasya. In the first calculation the first day starts after the full moon and in the second calculation after the new moon (or no moon).
However, in the hoary past, the months ended with full moon day. As per that calculation, the year ends with Phalguna Shukla Poornima, which is known as Holi Poornima (Holi Punnami) and then the New Year starts. This is what we call Ugadi which comes 15 days after Holi Punnami.
“Holi Poornima has three different mythological references,” said Late Swamy Paramarthananda at Sri Ramakrishna Mutt, Hyderabad, speaking on ‘Hindu religion and culture.’
After Sati Devi sacrificed her life by jumping into the fire in Daksha Yagnam, Lord Shiva sat in meditation. He had earlier granted a boon to demon king Tarakaasura that no one except His (Lord Shiva’s) own son could kill him. Sati Devi was reborn as Parvathi. Fed up with Tarakaasura’s evil deeds, the Devas wanted to get Lord Shiva married to Parvathi to beget a child who alone could kill Tarakaasura.
Parvathi Devi, who nursed a secret desire to marry Lord Shiva, was appointed to serve the meditating Shiva. At the same time the Devas requested Manmatha to induce Shiva to be amorously disposed towards Parvathi. But Manmatha was reduced to ashes by the fire of indignation of Lord Shiva. Commemorating that event, people perform ‘Kama Dahana’ on the eve of the Holi festival.
There is another story-- Prahlada was the son of Demon King and Vishnu-hater Hiranyakasipu. But he became an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu with his mind and intellect absorbed in Him. His father tried in vain to persuade Prahlada to banish the thought of Vishnu. Ultimately he asked his sister Holika to kill Prahlada.
Holika had been granted a boon----the power to sit in raging fire without getting burnt. She wanted to kill Prahlada by burning him. Her Modus Operandi was to take the child into her lap and sit in the fire, and then come away leaving the child in the fire. But due to Vishnu Maaya it was Holika who was burnt to death and Prahlada emerged unscathed. This incident took place on the Full Moon day. On this day, every year, people celebrate the destruction of the evil force.
In north India, from Maagha Shukla Panchami people start collecting all sorts of old, discarded articles, particularly wooden ones, make a bonfire of them on the eve of Maagha Poornima and burn Holika in effigy.
The third story goes like--There was once a demon called Dundhi. She started killing systematically the kings of Raghuvamsa. However, she could not bear the cries and shouts of children which to her were like a killer drug. Coming to know of her weakness, children in large numbers started shouting at the top of their voices caused a lot of cacophony and drove her away. Commemorating that event, too, people of all ages, particularly children, daubed with and doused in colours and coloured water, have great fun on this full moon day.
Holi, the festival of colours, is just around the corner. While the festival is a celebration of colours, it comes with its downsides – dry hair and skin. Here’s a sneak peek into the lives of a few actresses, their memories of the festival, and a few tips on how to protect your hair and skin.
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