The festival of Holi has transcended religious barriers and people from all religions celebrate it with fervor in India. However a ritual is performed by Hindus on the eve of Holi that depicts another aspect of this festival.
The Ritual Burning of Holi
On the eve of Holi a pyre of cow dung cakes is lit amid much merriment. The preparations begin much earlier in the day. Like most Hindu festivals this ritual is a community event. Each family prepares a number of flat cakes with cow dung. These cakes are strung together when dry. The family then sends its cow dung garland to the place where the burning will take place. There a tripod like framework has already been erected from dry sticks. The cow dung garlands are hung on the sticks. The framework is then packed with hay.
Just after sun down all the families congregate around the pyre. The pyre is then lit and soon bursts into flames. Everyone claps and shouts and expresses joy in other forms. Pods of peas or green grams are heated on the fire and circulated to be eaten. Plans are made for the next day for the celebration with colors. This is a joyous occasion because the burning of the cow dung pyre symbolizes the burning of the she-demon Holika.
The Mythological Tale of Holika and Prahlad
Hiranyakashipu was the king of the demon race. Earlier Vishnu in his Varaha or Boar avatar had killed Hiranyakashipu’s brother Hirnayaksha. Hiranyakashipu became anti-religious with a vengeance. He decreed that no one can worship God and closed down all temples. He began to persecute the sages who carried out their rituals in secrecy. It was extremely ironical the Hiranyakashipu’s own son, Prahlad, was a devotee of Vishnu. After attempts to reform him failed, Hiranyakashipu decided that he had to kill Prahlad. He did not want to make a martyr of Prahlad and therefore wanted the murder to look like an accident. Prahlad was dropped in a pit of venomous snakes and pushed down the mountain side, but he survived all attempts.
Hiranyakashipu had a sister named Holika. She possessed powers that she would be unaffected by fire. An elaborate conspiracy was hatched. Holika would demonstrate her powers before the population at large. A large wooden pyre was built in the public square. When everyone had gathered the pyre was lit and Holika was supposed to step in it and emerge unscathed. But at the last moment she snatched Prahlad and jumped into the flames. Everyone began to scream. When the pyre has burnt down people saw the dead body of Holika badly charred by the flames and the boy Prahlad in a posture of meditation, and completely hale and hearty. The name Holi derives from Holika.
The Triumph of Good over Evil
All mythological tales convey the overall triumph of good over evil. This theme is central to the epics the Ramayana and the Mahabharata. The burning of Holika and the saving of Prahlad also symbolizes this theme. Later in the legend Vishnu emerges from a pillar as Narasimha avatar, and slays Hiranyakashipu.
The legend of Prahlad also conveys something very central to Hinduism, but something often misrepresented. The demons are usually portrayed as an evil race and the demi-Gods as good. However goodness and evil are not characteristics of a race. They are the qualities of individuals. Prahlad — though born in the demon race — was a paragon of virtue and devotion to God. In the Ramayana, the demon king Ravan’s brother, Vibhishan was a pious man. On the other hand Indra was the king of the demi-Gods. But he possessed the undesirable qualities of arrogance and having a roving eye.
Sources:
The Legend of Holika & Prahlad; HoliFestival.org
The Ten Incarnations; Suite101.com
The Humbling of Indra; Suite101.com
Harsh Nevatia - I live in Mumbai on the west coast of India. I am an engineer by education, have worked as an executive for most of my career but am ...
