Phagwah, Hindu Festival of Colors
Phagwah, also known as Holi, is a vibrant Hindu festival celebrated primarily in India and in Hindu communities worldwide, including regions like Guyana and the United States. Occurring on or near March 11, it aligns with the full moon of Phalgun, the last month of the Hindu calendar. This festival symbolizes the victory of good over evil, drawing from the legend of Hiranyakashyapu, a tyrannical ruler whose oppression was overcome by his devoted son, Prahalad, with the divine intervention of the god Vishnu. Phagwah also marks the arrival of spring, reflecting themes of renewal and fertility. Celebrants typically dress in white and joyfully throw colored powders and water at each other, signifying unity and the erasure of social divisions, as everyone becomes adorned in vibrant hues. The festival features bonfires and parades, creating a lively atmosphere of community and celebration. Overall, Phagwah is a time for joy, reflection, and the strengthening of social bonds among participants.
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Phagwah, Hindu Festival of Colors
Phagwah, Hindu Festival of Colors
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Phagwah, also known as Holi, is an important celebration in the Hindu religion both in India, where most of the world's Hindus live, and in such countries as the South American nation of Guyana, to which substantial numbers of Indians emigrated. It is also celebrated by Hindu communities in the United States. The festival is named for the last month of the Hindu calendar, Phalgun, and takes place on the full moon of that month, on or near March 11 every year.
Hindus celebrate Phagwah as an affirmation of the triumph of good over evil. It is associated with a legend about an ancient Indian ruler named Hiranyakashyapu, who brutally oppressed his people and even sought the death of his own son, the righteous Prahalad. Prince Prahalad put his faith in the Hindu god Vishnu, who came in the form of a man-lion and killed Hiranyakashyapu so Prahalad could take the throne and rule wisely. The festival also serves to welcome in the Spring, hence the alternative name of Holi, coming from the word hola (prayers for a good harvest).
Today Hindus celebrate Phagwah by dressing in white and throwing colored powder and water on friends, family, and other celebrants. Red-tinted water is used to symbolize the blood of the demonic Hiranyakashyapu. The colored powders symbolize universal brotherhood, since traditionally all the participants end up covered with brilliant rainbow hues regardless of caste. Bonfires and parades are also common on this day.