Holi

Yesterday was Holi here in India. Holi, also known as the Festival of Colors, is the end of Winter, beginning of Summer. People stop wearing their winter sweaters after Holi.

On Holi you throw colored powder on people or colored water. It is a very messy time. For days now we will see pink faced people. Steve is going to be one of them. He went out to play Holi with some kids. He came back with a colorful t-shirt and face. The color does not come out of clothes.

A Hindu festival, Holi has various legends associated with it. The foremost is the legend of demon King Hiranyakashyap who demanded everybody in his kingdom to worship him but his pious son, Prahlad became a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyap wanted his son to be killed. He asked his sister Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap as Holika had a boon which made her immune to fire. Story goes that Prahlad was saved by lord himself for his extreme devotion and evil minded Holika was burnt to ashes, for her boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.

There is also a tradition of consuming the very intoxicating bhang on this day to further enhance the spirit of Holi. We didn't do that.

Happy Holi!