Holi : A Brief Overview

HISTORY :

India, a colorful and fascinating story of cultures and traditions has its roots deep inside the celebratory festivals. Holi being one of them is one of the most awaited festivals, full of colors metaphorically representing every emotion an individual has a capacity for. But why do we celebrate Holi? Let’s explore the reasons while walking down the memory lane.

According to Bhagavata Purana, King Hiranyakashipu, the ancient king of demonic Asuras, was believed to be immortal that could neither be killed by neither a man nor an animal and hence he demanded that everybody worship him as a god. But on the contrary, his son Prahlada disagreed and chose to remain devoted to Lord Vishnu which angered the king who consequently subjected him to cruel punishments. Meanwhile, Holika, the king's sister, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. While Holika protected herself with a cloak, Prahlada remained exposed. As the fire blazed, the cloak flew from Holika's body and encased Prahlada, thus saving his life. Later, Vishnu appeared in the avatar of Narasimha, half-man, and half-lion, and killed the king. This is why Holi begins with the Holika bonfire, which marks the end of evil.

Another interpretation of the festival traces its roots to the characteristic blue skin color of Lord Krishna who was worried if the fair-skinned Radha and her companions would ever like him because of his skin color. Krishna's mother then asked him to approach Radha and smear her face with any color he wanted. The playful coloring gradually evolved as a tradition and later, as a festival observed as Holi, in the Braj region of India.

Well, a million more stories might not do justice for our rich culture is far and wide but let’s see if our recent trends have been able to keep up with the message of Good over Evil.

RECENT TRENDS :

The festival of Holi has gone beyond the barriers of boundaries, religion and celebration style. The thrilling festival owns the distinctive quality to settle class differences and religious obstacles.

Holi is now celebrated in all the famous countries of the world. Holi is widely observed in USA, UK, France, Germany, South Africa, Caribbean Islands along with the whole South Asia.

The wide use of chemical colors in Holi have increased the health threats. These colors contain poisonous chemicals, industrial dyes blended with cheap engine oils which are tremendously unsafe for our eyes and skin. Their low cost has made them popular over natural colors. Recently, in the past few years, strong campaign has been launched against these dangerous hues. This has been thoroughly supported by the government as these colours cause allergies, asthma, nerve failures, blindness and even skin cancer. Different NGOs start to organise awareness campaigns much before the occasion, so that people could shift their choice and play Holi with natural colours. The natural colours are made from the leaves and floral extracts which are beneficial to the skin. The drastic commercialization of these organic skin-friendly hues has now made it the most coveted option in this festival.

EFFECTS:

Ironically, Holi which is a celebration which celebrates nature in the entirety of its tints and delicacy, and furthermore the victory of good over evil, is today generally celebrated with hazardous, undesirable and dangerous synthetic compounds that are not promptly degradable under normal circumstances and can't be eliminated by customary wastewater treatment techniques.

The custom of Holika Dahan not only adds to deforestation but also the Carbon Dioxide, Carbon Monoxide, Particulate matter levels go high which causes unfortunate air quality

The use of amplifiers and loud instruments causes noise pollution. This sort of commotion contamination can be hazardous for infants and senior residents

Water contamination is considered as one of the significant impacts of Holi celebration. Right now, in India all urban areas are confronting water lack. Taking this into account, individuals throw water on one another, youngsters play with water balloons, which is problematic since this plastic waste can impede the seepage arrangement of the city. Also chemical colours mixed water can damage water bodies and soil where it is released in sea or river.

ALTERNATE WAYS TO PLAY HOLI :

• While we are so enthusiastic for celebrating the Holi festival we likewise should try to understand the significance of environment around us. It is our responsibility to deal with it. The following are some ways of playing holi without limit and at the same time dealing with the pollution, that comes as a consequence :

• Follow your tradition in an eco-friendly way. Use the scraps like waste boxes, cow-dung, coconut waste, etc. instead of wood for “Holika Dahan”. This will save precious trees from getting cut for it to take care of our environment.

• Utilizing pichkaris will make superfluous trash, squander a ton of water and dirty the climate. Accordingly, commend a dry holi to stay away from such superfluous and harming results to save our valuable climate.

• Playing holi with regular dyes is the most effective way to praise this brilliant celebration. Make your own regular hues by essentially using turmeric, chandan and henna and making their various mixes with your minds. Such tones are innocuous and can be washed off easily , without harming our skin

• Did you know that decomposed flowers act as a great organic fertilizer for the soil? Instead of polluting the environment, play a gentle Holi using scented flowers

• While Holi can be a good time for us, it is really destructive to animals. Colors that are hurtful to our skin, make equivalent uneasiness to other animals. Stray animals are the ones who generally fall prey to gulaal and water inflatables. they require additional care and consideration. You can educate people about how hazardous tones and colors can be for these animals.

• This way we can partake in the celebration by spreading happiness and love in an Eco-friendly way. It will assist us with protecting our environment and spread the message of affection, harmony and fraternity in a easy way.