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Hinduism: Holi and Diwali
Holi is a festival celebrated in north India. It marks the coming of Spring, usually sometime in
March.
Celebrations
Some families hold religious ceremonies, but for many Holi is
more a time for fun than religious observance.
Holi is a colorful festival, with dancing, singing, and throwing of powder paint and colored
water.
Bonfires are lit and roasting grains, pop corn, coconut and chick peas are thrown on by Hindu
families
The next day, people of all ages go into the streets for fun and paint-throwing. Everyone gets
involved - with no distinctions between caste, class, age or gender.
Hindus have fun by smearing each other with paint and throwing colored water at each other, all
done in a spirit of celebration
Religious story
Holi also celebrates Krishna, and the legend of Holika and Prahlad.
Some believe the origin of the festival lies with Krishna who was very mischievous as a young
boy and threw colored water over the gopis (milkmaids) this developed into the practical jokes
and games of Holi.
The story of Prahlad is seen to symbolize good overcoming evil and is why traditionally bonfires
are lit at Holi.
Prahlad was a prince. His father, the king wanted everyone in his kingdom to worship him. But
Prahlad refused and worshipped Lord Vishnu instead. The king's sister Holika, who was
supposed to be immune to fire, tricked her nephew Prahlad into sitting on her lap in a bonfire in
order to destroy him. But because she was using her powers for evil, the plan failed and Prahlad
emerged from the fire unharmed, while Holika was devoured by the flames.
In some parts of India effigies of Holika are burnt on the fire. Ashes from Holi bonfires are
thought to bring good luck.
Why is Krishna often shown as having blue skin?
It is thought that a demon attempted to kill baby Krishna by giving him poisoned milk. This
made the baby turn blue but he did not die and the demon shriveled up into ashes.
Don't people get upset when colored paint is thrown at Holi?
People throw powder paint (called "gulal") at each other (yes,
even at complete strangers) and no-one seems to mind. The air is often bright with clouds of
colored powder.
You can throw paint at strangers, soak your friends with colored water while saying "don't be
offended, it's Holi", and, unless you're very unlucky, no-one will be upset. (But don't try this
outside India!)
Diwali: Festival of Lights
Diwali is perhaps the most well-known of the Hindu festivals.
The word Diwali means 'rows of lighted lamps'. Diwali is known as the 'festival of lights'
because houses, shops and public places are decorated with small earthenware oil lamps called
diyas
Celebrating Diwali
For many Indians this five day festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth.
People start the new business year at Diwali, and some Hindus will say prayers to the goddess
for a successful year.
Lamps are lit to help Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth, find her way into people's homes.
They also celebrate one of the Diwali legends, which tell of the return of Rama and Sita to
Rama's kingdom after fourteen years of exile.
In Britain, as in India, the festival is a time for:
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spring-cleaning the home,
wearing new clothes
exchanging gifts (often sweets and dried fruits) and preparing festive meals
decorating buildings with fancy lights.
huge firework displays often celebrate Divali.
In India Hindus will leave the windows and doors of their houses open so that Lakshmi can come
in. Rangoli are drawn on the floors - rangoli are patterns and the most popular subject is the lotus
flower.
The meaning of Diwali
The festival celebrates the victory of good over evil, light over
darkness and knowledge over ignorance, although the actual legends that go with the festival are
different in different parts of India:
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In northern India and elsewhere, Diwali celebrates Rama's return from fourteen years of
exile to Ayodhya after the defeat of Ravana and his subsequent coronation as king;
In Gujarat, the festival honors Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth;
In Nepal Diwali commemorates the victory of Lord Krishna over the demon king
Narakaasura;
In Bengal, it is associated with the goddess Kali.
Why isn't Diwali celebrated on the same date each year?
The Hindu calendar is based on the lunar cycle and the movement
of the moon, unlike the conventional Western (or Gregorian) calendar. The result is that Hindu
festivals move about the Western calendar from year to year.
Diwali, for example, falls on the date of the new moon between the Hindu months of Asvina and
Kartika. Usually this is in October or November.
What is the story of King Rama and the demon Ravana?
Ravana was the wicked king of the island of Sri Lanka. He was so evil he is shown as having ten
arms and ten heads. Ravana kidnapped the wife of Rama.
After a great battle Rama killed the demon and recovered his wife. Rama's return with his wife
Sita to Ayodhya and his subsequent coronation as king is celebrated at Diwali.
When Rama and Sita first returned to Ayodhya it was a dark moonless night and they couldn't
see where they were going. Their people put little lamps outside their houses so that the new king
and queen could find their way, thus beginning the tradition of the festival of lights.