The festival of colors, Holi marks the beginning of the spring season and is celebrated with much fun and enthusiasm by Hindus across India and the world. This bright and dynamic festival commemorates the triumph of good over evil that was brought by burning and destructing the demoness called Holika by the young Prahlad, a staunch devotee of Lord Vishnu.
Considered to be the most colorful festival, Holi is honored with pomp and zeal by throwing colors and colored powder on family members, friends and loved ones. Colors are played and squeezed on the next day using pichkaris. Holi, popularly known as Holika, is the colourful Hindu festival celebrated on Falgun Purnima.
Holi 2014 Date
This year 2014 the holi festival is on Monday, 17th March 2014. This popular festival holi is marked on the last full moon day (Phalgun Purnima). The festival of Holi is the most popular celebration of unity and brotherhood wherein festivities are observed with high spirits irrespective of caste, creed, color, race, status or sex.
The most important and special day of the festival is popularly known as Holi, also referred to as Dhuli Vandana in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti, Dhulandi or Dhulendi. This is observed by throwing and covering colored powder on one another. The day before Holi is popularly known as Holika Dahan, or Chhoti Holi, which means 'burning of Holika'. This most popular festival takes places on the night before Holi. On this day people celebrate all the activities and events of Holi by throwing coloured powders and colored water at each other. To evade any skin diseases during the weather changes, natural coloured powders traditional made of Neem, Bilva, Kumkum (Kum Kum), Haldi, and other medicinal herbs are prescribed by Ayurvedic physicians.