Festval of Holi 16th March

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

How lovely.. one could almost feel that emotion..

Thank you Oakapple.. 😀

Hugs
Shaz
xxxx

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hi Oakapple

I'm so sorry to be pedantic but this post really belongs in the Hinduism forum. And Holi isn't always held on 16th March - it's a moveable festival. And....sorry to go on....it's not just red water but all sorts of colours - waters and powders. And Krishna is an incarnation of Lord Vishnu rather than an incantation. (Bet that's what you meant, eh?:D) It's a bit like a Bacchanalia in a way: people get to go a bit crazy and throw colours at each other, but it can also get a bit out of hand.

Love
Sunanda xxx

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Thanks for pointing this out, sunanda. I have now moved this thread to the Hinduism forum.

Holistic

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hiya Sundana , , I know.............. There is so much I could say , it could go on and on. Just trying to highlight the celebration not the religion tell us why they throw the powder and the coloured waters, and the other religions that celebrate this festival that runs up to the Spring Equinox . Thats the 20 / 21 March.......be nice to hear a little from someone who knows.......The Hindu festivals are some of the best memories of singing and chanting that I have experienced......trully emotional.

Blessings

Oakapple

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hi all,

There was a piece on this in the local Mysore paper when I was there a few days ago ... but worded that it had already happened. ((??))

I was wary to go out in any good clothes I might have, but perhaps some regions or cities are not so keen, as absolutely nothing at all occurred visibly where I was or am! All I saw was a paper report.

V

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hi Oakapple,

Funny that, i thought of you when i thought about this festival...

As I know you're a brickky... when i was a kid, to make our colours, we ground down different coloured bricks into water and used bicycle pumps to suck it up and spray at each other... it used to be a real scream, but as 'V' says you daren't wear anything decent 🙂
But you could perch on roof tops (as they are flat) or sping outta alleys etc... and do it to anyone - and they to you!

Mind you, it aint so pleasent at night, as Sunanda says, it can get quite 'rough' with some of the older lads (shame really).

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hi Conspiritualist , you say the powder was made from crushed bricks, I thought They included medicinal herbs such as Neem, Kumkum Haldi and Bilva , and that they combated some viral fevers. .......I must admit , it all sounds brilliant fun.................. Is it similar to our Bonfire Night , as I know they light many fires .......

Blessings

Oakapple

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

OK, I know a bit more now! :)I don't know what that paper was on about many days ago. Indeed, Holi is happening now, or just has. Conspiritualist and Sunanda etc. know more about all this than me, but for some nights there has been the sound of fireworks in the distance. In the day too, just now and then. I asked what it was and got told it was because of Holi, which, I'm told here in the very north of Kerala, in Kahagad, stretches over three days.

But the fireworks - from another ashram - is all that's happening here! In this town there's not a sign of it otherwise. Is it regional or something?

There is something which got some of the locals' knickers in a twist! There was just, today, a solar eclipse (the moon passing over the sun to blot part of it out). It happened to be timed about 6 to 7 a.m. here so was simply perfect to view, as the sun rose as a deep blood-red orb which you could harmlessly look at ... and a big moving bite had been taken out of it. (The second time I've seen a solar eclipse now.) But whereas Westerners here were keen to get to places with a good view, some Hindus see it as inauspicious, so got up especially early to do mantras and rites for protection of something.

I climbed the highest hill near the ashram I'm in - Sunanda probably knows the hill - and had a simply spectacular view of a two-thirds sun rising. And you could see the moon passing over it from right to left. It finished just as the sun got too bright to safely see - perfect. But as it happened, amplified mantras and prayers were going up from villages and hamlets all around! What a pity that they view it negatively, and not as something fascinating and beautiful. (We all got woken an hour early so that people could get well into their mantras in time! :D)

V

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Hi V,
Your visit sounds wonderful. The solar eclipse you described also stimulates the imagination.
Having researched a little more, India's population would appear to be extremelly supersticious. These festivals and celebrations ushers in Spring and is a season of Love . Now is the time they Prepare for planting and sowing their seeds. Any influences that might disrupt this delicate balance of Nature would appear bad karma......enjoy the rest of your trip......Be well

om shanti shanti shanti

Namaste

Love and Blessings

Oakapple

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

ORIGINAL: oakapple

India's population would appear to be extremelly supersticious. ......... Now is the time they Prepare for planting and sowing their seeds. Any influences that might disrupt this delicate balance of Nature would appear bad karma

I let them down then. While they were chanting away, I just had my camera out on the hiltop. 😀

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

ORIGINAL: oakapple

Hiya Sundana , , I know.............. There is so much I could say , it could go on and on. Just trying to highlight the celebration not the religion tell us why they throw the powder and the coloured waters, and the other religions that celebrate this festival that runs up to the Spring Equinox . Thats the 20 / 21 March.......be nice to hear a little from someone who knows.......The Hindu festivals are some of the best memories of singing and chanting that I have experienced......trully emotional.

Blessings Oakapple

Hi,

You have already heard from someone who knows. So I shall try to be as brief and factual as possible.

Celebrated in March or April according to the Hindu calendar... Holi 2007... celebrated on Wednesday, March 03rd. 2007.

"...is the second most important festival of India after Diwali." - Possibly in many parts of Bharat, but not in West Bengal, where I grew up.

• We did notcelebrate the occasion with bonfires or fireworks.
• We did not use bricks ground up to provide the colour. Various coloured powders were available in the market. I cannot be certain as to the origin of each, but vegetation based seems most probable.
• We used powders made into KumKum. We made up hollow balls of wax, filled them with the powder and threw them to the intended target. Usually boys to girls and less frequently vice versa.
• We also bought the concentrated vegetable based colours, diluted them with water, filled sprayers called "pichKiris" and sprayed the intended target.
• The "pichKiris" were usually made of brass and of two types, one with a conical end to provide long range spray, but a single stream; the other with a blunt end with many holes. Provided a short range diffuse spray.
• Needless to say, we did not wear "sunday best" for the purpose.
• Object was a bit of frolic and fun mixed with a sense of teen romance.

There are many songs associated with the event. For example "Holi khelata hai giridhari" Means "Giridhari (another name for Shree Krishna) is playing Holi" This would not be a chant buta semi-classical devotional song or a Bhajan. Very tuneful and moving, at least to me. There are sites online,that do have this and similar songs.

The colours?

Why they throw the colours? For a bit of fun as I said, already. You did not wish to know about the Hindu beliefs and legends associated with it. But there might be others who are interested. So here are some sites, that provide an account:

[link= http://www.holifestival.org/significance-of-holi.html ]http://www.holifestival.org/significance-of-holi.html[/link]

This one gives an idea of how the victims might end up on the day:
[link= http://www.coolchill.org/Pictures/Holy_Festival-2005/index.html ]http://www.coolchill.org/Pictures/Holy_Festival-2005/index.html[/link]

And for V, this site for the solar eclipse:

[link= http://www.colorsofindia.com/eclipse/index.html ]http://www.colorsofindia.com/eclipse/index.html[/link]

Hope this helps.

Prashna

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

Not that it's important - but they did celebrate Holi here last weekend, and the only way it was done was from one ashram, with fireworks ...

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

ORIGINAL: venetian

Not that it's important - but they did celebrate Holi here last weekend, and the only way it was done was from one ashram, with fireworks ...

Hi V,

Your Ashram was in good company. In New Delhi also, Holi was celebrated by SOME on 15 March or there abouts. See:

[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/03/16/stories/2006031622700300.htm ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/03/16/stories/2006031622700300.htm[/link]

However, Bharat is a vast sub-continent containing a very wide range of communities, as you have found out for yourself.Not surprisingly, the social and religious practices and their timing do vary. However, over MOST of Bharat and particularly among Hindus, Holi in 2007 seems to have been celebrated on or about 3-4 March.

For example:

Bhubaneswar, Orissa 3 March 2007. See:

[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030413770300.htm&date=2007/03/04/&prd=th ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030413770300.htm&date=2007/03/04/&prd=th[/link]&

Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh: the same: See:

[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030407350200.htm&date=2007/03/04/&prd=th ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030407350200.htm&date=2007/03/04/&prd=th[/link]&

Kochi, Kerala the same. SEE:

[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030517820300.htm&date=2007/03/05/&prd=th ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/thehindu/thscrip/print.pl?file=2007030517820300.htm&date=2007/03/05/&prd=th[/link]&

Hyderabad Andhra Pradesh the same See
[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030511670300.htm ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/2004/03/05/stories/2004030511670300.htm[/link]

Gulbarga Karnataka About 15-16 March. See:
[link= http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/03/16/stories/2006031610850300.htm ]http://www.hinduonnet.com/2006/03/16/stories/2006031610850300.htm[/link]

As for fireworks, these are let off simply to add a bit of colour and fun. For example, in Bharat, as in Britain now, some would set off firewirks to celebrate their children's birthday!

People let them off on various occasions, depending on local custom and legal constraints.

Hope this helps.

Prashna

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

ORIGINAL: venetian
But whereas Westerners here were keen to get to places with a good view, some Hindus see it as inauspicious, so got up especially early to do mantras and rites for protection of something.

I can vouch for the fact that solar eclipses are considered in Hindu tradition to be inauspicious. During the solar eclipse in England in 2000 my sister's Vaishnav guru advised her to avoid looking at the spectacle. It was thought 'unlucky' to view the sun being temporarily subdued. I was abroad at the time in a part of the world where we didn't have the eclipse, so I didn't get too involved in the story. You can find a puranic explanation here: .

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

To my surprise, photos of it I took have turned out well enough to show it, though not zoomed at all (I didn't think!). When back in England I could try posting one or two.

The first has TWO bits "bitten off" the sun - from teh moon on top, and from an invisible, in the haze, distant mountain which cuts off part of the bottom as the sun rises. So it's a very unusual photo of the sun. Pity I didn't zoom it.

RE: Festval of Holi 16th March

ORIGINAL: Crystal Cub

I can vouch for the fact that solar eclipses are considered in Hindu tradition to be inauspicious. During the solar eclipse in England in 2000 my sister's Vaishnav guru advised her to avoid looking at the spectacle. It was thought 'unlucky' to view the sun being temporarily subdued. I was abroad at the time in a part of the world where we didn't have the eclipse, so I didn't get too involved in the story.

Hi Crystal Cub,

I am well aware of the Hindu traditions re: solar eclipse and lunar eclipse.

During the solar eclipse in England in 2000, I needed no advice from any Guru, Vaishnav or otherwise, as to what to do. That is because I do not believe I need it, being a Dvija myself, of the Bharadvaja gotra.

I did watch the eclipse DIRECTLY , albeit using the finest eye protection I could afford. I used an ELECTRIC ARC welder's glass!

There is a far simpler explanation, really. If you know anything about Bharat, and V certainly does, you would know that ordinary Bharatiyas cannot even dream of such protection, let alone afford it.

What better way to protect their priceless eyesight, than to have these myths surrounding the Solar eclipse?

As a Brahmin and a dvija, I can assure you that there is nothing, repeat NOTHING, inauspicious about watching it, PROVIDED you can protect your eyesight suitably. Which most Bharatiyas still cannot, let alone in the old days!

Hope this helps.

Prashna