Holi Festival of Colors

Holi festival

Holi festival is known as one of the most popular and fun festivals in India. The Holi festival is known as the festival of colors and is celebrated in the month of March according to the English calendar and the month of Phagun, according to the Hindu calendar.

The Holi festival takes place on a full moon day and follows a number of traditions, which people follow.

If you are wondering why Holi is celebrated, then let’s go back to the basics, from where it all started.

According to Hindu mythology, there was once an evil king named Hiranakashyap, who had suppressed everybody in his kingdom, threatening them to worship him as their god.While everybody followed him, his own son Prahlad turned out to be a worshipper of Lord Vishnu. Furious, the king had ordered his son to be killed and called his sister Holika who had the boon of immunity to fire, to kill his son.

But as history has it, Lord Vishnu himself saved Prahlad from the deadly fire and Holika was burnt to ashes as her boon was to only work if she entered the fire alone.

Ever since then, during Holi, an auspicious fire is lit in every household, with the belief that it will burn down every impurity in the household.

Holi festival is celebrated in full spirits, where markets buzz with colors, fancy accessories, and pichkaris.

Generally, the Holi festival is celebrated over a span of one night and one full day (two days). The first night, there’s a ‘Holika Dahan,’ which has the auspicious fire lit in the backyard or front yard of every household.

This fire is believed to make way for positive energy to weave in within the house while all the negativity dies. The next day is when people play with colors, right from the morning till late afternoon.

Earlier, playing colorful Holi with water was more common, however, now as a step towards conservation of water to save the environment, more and more people are opting for dry Holi with organic powder colors.

Also, Holi festival happens to be the first one involving a whole lot of gathering chronologically as per the English calendar, it is celebrated with a lot of zeal and enthusiasm.

People generally greet one another with the wish ‘Happy Holi‘ during the Holi festival and put colors on each other’s’ faces.

The younger ones in the house touch the feet of all the elderly people and put powdered color on their feet while doing so as they exchange wishes.

If you too are a supporter of the conservation of the environment, make sure to opt for dry Holi this time and intimate your family and friends about the same.

Promoting dry Holi is a great step towards preventing water wastage and protecting the environment, for future generations and a better present and future for the existing ones.

Holi Festival has always been a festival of colours and joy. It is regarded as one of the most vibrant festivals in India. From the gulals, bhang and gujiyas, it really is a festival where everyone takes part actively.

But playing Holi safely so that you do not ruin it for someone else is important.

Holi festival could never be complete without various colors but sometimes people forget to use the right kind. Usually, during the early days, Holi colors were made of dried flowers and herbs.

Nowadays many synthetic colors have come out which causes skin diseases and other unpleasant things if you are not careful. Here are some useful tips that would help you play the festival of colors safely.

Useful tips for Holi Festival

• Protect your skin in any way you could. Just because you are using dry and natural colours does not mean everyone would. Your skin is your protector when it comes to protecting your internal organs from the external environment. Synthetic colours often have ingredients like lead oxide; mercury sulfide which is very much harmful to the skin and prolongs contact may lead to cancer. Thus, it would be recommended that you wear clothes which cover most of your skin and body.

• If you apply moisturiser and sunscreen every day to your skin, why miss it during that particular day? In fact, generously apply cream and lotion before going out to play and click holi festival images. Apply cream to all the exposed part of your skin so that not only would it protect you from sun damage but also help clean yourself faster.

• Holi colours could make your hair dry, frizzy and lose its shine and gloss. It is better if you shield your hair with a cap or shower mask before going out to play. Not only would it protect you from the synthetic holi colours but also from dust, chemicals and dirt that would make it sticky.

• Never use harsh shampoo and soap to cleanse your skin and hair. It would make your skin dry and could also make it difficult for you to get rid of the colours. Use mild shampoo and soap which should be followed by a conditioner. This helps you to regain the strength and glossiness of your hair. If you think the holi colour is not getting removed, do not think about using spirit as it would dry the skin further.

• Just because you are a big fan of bhang does not mean you should drink it in huge amounts. Consuming it in huge amounts could lead to an increase in blood pressure which may sometimes become fatal. Therefore always drink in a moderate amount and do not mix it with alcohol. Have a safe Holi festival 2019 by being responsible regarding yourself and also others.

You should also respect the privacy of people when you are playing Holi. Wish them a happy holi and if they do not want to play do not force them. Play a healthy and safe holi.

Do not forget to drink a lot of water and keep yourself hydrated. Play with dry natural colours and respect all forms of life.