Holi Hai – Here’s How It Started

Holi is celebrated by Hindus each year on the full moon day of the 12th month (Phagun) on the Hindu calendar. The tradition of throwing colors at one other started way back before India and Pakistan were two separate countries.

The tradition of Holi began from the city of Multan at a time when the Hindu King (Raja) named Hirna Kaship was executed due to his tyrant rule.

People celebrated it for their freedom, to share the love with each other and to praise their Lord. The story of this Raja begins in an interesting way. He asked his people for gifts that will render him as the most powerful being. He described gifts by saying that gifts that will prevent his death inside and outside, gifts that prevent his death during the day or the night, gifts that will protect him from dying on ground and in mid-air, gifts that will prevent any human or animal from murdering him and gifts that prevented any weapon from killing him. He then started feeling ‘All-powerful’ and claimed that God himself cannot challenge him. Hirna Kaship proclaimed to be God and Heaven and Hell belonged to him.

His son, Bhuggat Perhlad, firmly believed in the existence of only one God. Soon the Hirna Kaship and his son broke into a disagreement with him and was tortured by his orders.

Even though commands were being carried out, Bhuggat Perhlad was not getting injured by any of those experiences. So, the Hirna Kaship’s sister, Holika, took charge of him and cast curses and incantations. Surprisingly, the curses rebounded and led to the death of the Raja’s sister.

The angered Raja ordered to put his son in a container filled with hot sand.

When his son was put in the container, he shouted for God thrice. The Raja was witnessing this incident when he noticed that his son, miraculously survived this torment.

Angered, Hirna Kaship drew his sword towards and shouted, “Where is your God now? No one can save you from my blade!” In his response, the Bhuggat Perhlad said, “God has always been by my side. From each torment you had for me, he was there. Even now he is in this container of sand.”

The next moment God (Lord Narasimha) in the shape of a humanoid lion (face of a lion, body of a human), jumped out and grabbed the Raja and took him to a place where his body was half inside a temple and another half outside. He then said to the Raja, “I am neither man nor animal. You are neither on ground or mid-air, you are on my lap. It is neither day nor night, it is twilight. I do not hold any weapon but I will bestow death upon you by my fingers.” Hirna Kaship died at that moment.

After the incident, people celebrated a festival where they were throwing colors at one another and it soon became customary for the Hindus. They named it Holika which later became Holi.

Whether or not we celebrate Holi in our country, it has been a part of our culture and it is important to know about the history and culture of the land you call home. This is a huge reminder of how diverse the society was. This should also prompt us to take care of our minorities and their cultural and religious heritage just like we take care of ours.

Cover image via charlestonwineandfood.com