People in the hilly and mountainous regions are marking Fagu, the festival of colours, with great fanfare on Thursday, while the people in the Tarai are marking it on Friday.

The lively festival of water and colours is celebrated with great enthusiasm in Nepal every year on the last full moon day of the Nepali month of Falgun. Fagu, also called Holi, traditionally begins after erecting the Chir (bamboo pole) at Basantapur in Kathmandu. This year, it was erected on Friday symbolizing the formal beginning of the festival.

. Introduction to Holi Festival.

Holi festival is a revered celebration among Hindu communities around the world. It’s celebrated on the full-moon day of the Hindu month of Phalgun, which usually falls in February or March.

In Hindu Mythology, the festival is celebrated as the victory of good over evil and the triumph of light over darkness. Celebrations often involve lively music, dance performances, and splashing colorful powder and water at each other – creating a joyful atmosphere.

The festival’s roots are in ancient Hindu mythology, with many legends associated with it. As a result, many beliefs surround the Holi Festival’s significance. However, the primary purpose behind the celebration of Holi is to welcome springtime, a time of love and celebration.

The significance of the Holi Festival in Hindu mythology.

Festivals are essential celebrations, and Nepal, like many other countries, celebrates one yearly. Most people are familiar with Christmas, Halloween, and Easter, but much more go unnoticed.

We decided to pick one of our favorites and explain its history and significance. The Holi festival, or springtime celebration, takes place in March.

The colors of Holi, red and yellow, represent the victory of good over evil. Holi is the symbol of Joy and happiness that celebrates in Nepal & India.

The Holi Festival 20123

Holi festival has an important place in Hindu mythology, with various legends associated with it. One famous mythological tale behind the festival is that of Prahlad and his evil father, Hiranyakashipu. Prahlad was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu, while his father was a tyrant who wanted to worship God.

Despite suffering brutal punishments at the hands of his father, Prahlada refused to renounce Lord Vishnu. Eventually, Lord Vishnu intervened and saved Prahlad by defeating Hiranyakashipu.

There are many different reasons that people celebrate this festival, but it mainly represents the love between Lord Krishna and Radha and celebrating this festival with your loved ones. It means getting together and having fun.

Thus, the Holi festival celebrates the triumph of good over evil and promotes love and unity in Hindu culture.

The story of Prahlad and Holika.

One of the most well-known tales associated with the Holi festival is that of Prahlada and Holika. In this story, Hiranyakashipu, Prahlad’s father, wanted to worship as God all his subjects. Still, his son was an ardent follower of Lord Vishnu.

Unable to sway his son’s beliefs, Hiranyakashipu resorted to cruel means and devised a plan for his sister Holika to sit on a pyre with young Prahlada on her lap. However, due to a boon from Lord Brahma, Holika was immune to fire and believed that the flames would consume Prahlad alone.

However, Holika perished in the fire, while Prahlad emerged unscathed due to the protection offered by Lord Vishnu. This tale is often remembered during Holi celebrations as a triumph of good over evil.

It is customary for people to light bonfires known as ‘Holika Dahan,’ signifying the victory of good over evil forces.

The different customs and rituals associated with Holi.

There are several customs and rituals associated with the Holi festival. First, it’s a joyous celebration; one of the most popular is playing with colored powder, water, and flowers. Then, people smear and sprinkle these colors on each other’s faces and clothing, which is why Holi is known as the ‘Festival of Colors.’

The delicious food prepared during this time is a great celebration feature. In addition, there are some unique sweets that you must try at the Holi festival time. Try them once, and you will remember their taste! The festival is a symbol of purification for all those who observe it.

It’s also a celebration of love and life. In addition, Holi falls on a full moon day (Purnima) in the Hindu month of Phalgun (February-March), so it’s also a time for family gatherings and celebrations marking spring’s arrival.

Understanding the true essence of Holi as a celebration of unity and love.

The Holi festival is more than just a colorful celebration. It represents the coming together of people and communities irrespective of caste, religion, or social status. Through the exchange of sweets, playing with colors, and other rituals associated with it, Holi promotes love, unity, and forgiveness.

The festival celebrates the spirit of love, and its colors—red, white, orange, green, blue, and yellow—symbolize harmony and friendship. The festival also marks the onset of spring with all its vibrant hues and rejuvenating energy. So let us all embrace the true essence of Holi as a celebration of togetherness and spread positivity in our communities.

You may also like to read: Mane Festival in Humla, Nepal: The Most Exciting Festival.

To Sum Up

In conclusion, Holi is also known as the festival of colors; the Hindus celebrate the Holi festival worldwide. The festival believes that the end of winter will bring prosperity and happiness for the entire year.

It is a time of happiness, fun, and celebration. The festival of Holi celebrates the full moon day in the Hindu month of Phalgun. Holi celebrates the victory of good over evil. The tradition of throwing colored powder at each other, called Holika Dahan, marks the triumph of good over evil.

On this day, people visit temples and worship God and Goddess. Holi is a colorful and lively festival associated with great happiness and joy.

Holi celebrations have now become more widespread and commercialised in urban areas like Kathmandu, Pokhara and Biratnagar. Large crowds gather in public spaces, streets and even clubs to celebrate it with music and dance.

The festival has now grown into a larger commercial and tourist-oriented event especially in cities. Now, the festival has become a major tourist attraction, particularly in Thamel and Basantapur. Many hotels and travel agencies offer special packages for tourists. It brings people together across communities, cultures and even borders.

Looking back at Holi, celebrations around two decades ago, the scenario now is totally different. Now it is celebrated in a more civilized and decent manner than in the past when it used to be marked in wild manners, especially in cities like Kathmandu.

Earlier, people used to start celebrating holy a fortnight earlier the actual festival day by throwing water-filled balloons at passersby, mostly girls. As girls used to be the targets, the schools and colleges had to be closed at least for a week during this festival. But now schools run final exams just a day before the Holi festival.

It was very difficult for teenage girls to walk on the road and go to school and college due to sudden and hidden attacks with water-filled balloons.

Remembering the school days of Holi celebration, Kopila Shrestha, 45, from Swayambhu shared, “The entrance gate of the schools and colleges used to be crowded by boys, including by classmates and senior boys, to throw balloons at us.”

“The rowdy behaviour of throwing water-filled balloons without our consent hurt us mentally and physically,” she said. She further said, "Boys used to throw water-filled balloons even inside the classrooms while the teacher was teaching us. They did not listen to the teacher.”

Children also used to throw water-filled plastic bags and balloons from the roofs, windows and passing vehicles a fortnight before the Holi. Water balloons filled with coloured water are a popular part of the celebration, but it was not joyful at that time, she said.

The anomalies of throwing filled water balloons, plastic bags and colours without the consent have significantly decreased now after the police began arresting offenders and implementing tight security during the Holi festival.

Besides the colour and water, Holi symbolises the arrival of spring and end of winter. The festival is associated with King Bali, Lord Krishna, Prahlad and Holika.

Lighting of a bonfire, known as Holika Dahan, symbolises the victory of good over evil. The bonfire represents the burying of Holika.

Even outside the Kathmandu Valley, a visible change can be observed in ways of marking the festival. Police and administration impose measures to control rowdy activities.

According to our Mahottari correspondent, police administration has tightened security to prevent criminal and unruly activities during the Holi.

Special security arrangements have been made to discourage unwanted activities in the name of the festival. The Armed Police Force has also been mobilised, the security agencies said.

Likewise, special security alert has been issued in the districts of Lumbini Province for Fagu to ensure peaceful celebrations of Holi on Thursday and Friday.

As per the Province Police Office, special security arrangements have been adopted in all the districts to control unwanted activities on the occasion of Holi.

Deputy Inspector General of Police Dan Bahadur Karki, Chief of the Province Police Office, said that a large number of security personnel have been deployed in all districts in the province.

Holi, the festival of colours, is just around the corner and we can't wait to celebrate this vibrant festival with family and friends. One of the biggest festivals in India after Diwali, it is celebrated with great fanfare by Hindus around the world. Two days are devoted to the festivities, with Dhulandi or Rangwali Holi coming after Choti Holi or Holika Dahan. It marks the victory of good over evil.

It takes place in the Hindu month of Phalgun, which falls between February and March. People celebrate the day with balloons, flowers, water and colours. Adults and children apply gulal to each other and ask their elders for blessings. From history to significance, scroll down to know more. (Also read: Widow's Holi at Vrindavan 2024: Date, history, significance and everything you need to know )

This year, Holi falls on Monday, March 25, and Holika Dahan falls on March 24. According to Drik Panchang, the auspicious timings are as follows:

Holi is a festival celebrating the triumph of good over evil and the heavenly love shared by Lord Krishna and Radha. It is also celebrated as a harvest festival to honour the arrival of spring and the end of winter. According to Hindu mythology, Radha was extremely fair and Lord Krishna had a dark complexion.

Because of their different skin tones, Krishna often worried about whether Radha would accept him and complained to his mother Yashoda. Yashoda once jokingly suggested that Krishna paint Radha's face a different colour to hide any differences. Krishna did as his mother advised and used gulal to smear Radha's face. And that's how the celebration of Holi began.

Another legend associated with Holi tells the story of King Hiranyakashipu, his son Prahalad, who was a follower of Lord Vishnu, and his aunt Holika, the demon. According to Indian mythology, Hiranyakashipu was given a boon that prevented both humans and animals from killing him. So he made them worship him. But Hiranyakashipu asked his sister Holika to have his son killed by sitting on a funeral pyre and covering himself with a garment to protect himself from the flames after the boy became a follower of Lord Vishnu and refused to worship him. But to protect him, Prahlad prayed to Lord Vishnu, who responded by sending a gust of wind that carried the cloth from Holika to him. Holika Dahan is therefore celebrated the day before Holi to commemorate the triumph of good over evil.

The Braj regions, which include Mathura, Vrindavan, Gowardhan, Gokul, Nandagaon and Barsana, are associated with Lord Krishna and are the sites of a grand celebration of the festival of Holi. World famous Holi celebrations include Phoolwali Holi in Vrindavan and Lathmar Holi, a customary Holi celebration in Barsana.

The festival is observed over two days, namely Rangwali Holi, also known as Dhulandi, and Chhoti Holi, also known as Holika Dahan. On Holika Dahan, people light bonfires to symbolise the triumph of good over evil. They get up early the next day to play with colours or gulal. Children play with their friends by putting water in balloons and toy guns. Sweets and thandai made especially for the festival are also enjoyed by the public.