For one night and one full day, social barriers break down. Caste differences are covered by a collective sense of togetherness. Powdered paint soars through the air, turning faces, hands, and bodies into living works of art. Holi is a time of joy — a celebration of new beginnings and hope.
Life Becomes Art
Picture the scene: vibrantly colored powder rains down from balconies above. Water balloons fly through the air. Revelers dance as drums play. Families come together, young and old. Differences in caste, creed, gender, religion all fall away. For the celebration of Holi, art and life converge in the most gorgeous display of color.
The story behind Holi is the classic triumph of good over evil. It is a legend of fire and faith, a family drama of epic proportions. Story has it that the ancient King Hiranyakashipu desperately wanted to be worshipped as a god. His son Prahlada refused, swearing his allegiance to Lord Vishnu. As punishment, the king asked his demoness sister, Holika, to lure his son into a fire, where she would be protected by a magic shawl. At the last minute, Lord Vishu intervened, blowing the shawl off Holika, who burned in the flames, and onto Prahlada, who survived on faith.
Today, the festival transcends its religious significance, inviting Hindus and non-Hindus into the celebration of color. It marks an end to the long, dark winter. It is a welcoming of spring. A time of love and hope.
For the Festival of Colors, everyday cares and worries momentarily fall away. For a finite period of time, one lives by a different motto: Bura na mano, Holi hai. “Don’t mind, it’s Holi!”
Paint the world with color
Walk down the street during the Holi Festival of Colors, and you’ll see plumes of blue spouting into the air like the spray of a whale. You’ll wade through mists of yellow and fogs of green smoke. Crimson rain that turns your hair shades of red, pink, purple.
Legend says that this playful war of color was born of a mythical flirtation between the god, Krishna, and the goddess, Radha. Krishna smeared paint on the goddess’s face, and she upped the ante with colors of her own.
While paint may fly fast and furious during the Holi festival in India, each color packs its own meaning. Blue, born of indigo dyes, is the province of the gods. It is the color of the revered Lord Krishna, a manifestation of the Hindu god, Vishnu the preserver. Its rich hue links it to the realm of the spiritual. Green, on the other hand, is rooted in the world. It is the symbolic nod to nature and the harvest. Turmeric yellow captures the golden rays of sun, delivering health and happiness to those it covers. And finally, red. The scarlet color worn by brides on the day of their wedding. It is the color of life and hope, fertility and love.
Rejoice in the richness of all color with handmade treasures crafted in India.
