the way back to the festival of colours

We all enjoy playing with colours, holi is the time where we meet our family and friends, time to take a day out of our busy schedules. I am not writing about the religious significance of holi I am sure you are already aware about the same but I wish to share the cultural significance of holi with you.

Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna which comes in month of February or March in English calander.  This is the  time of the year when people have a tendency to feel sleepy and lazy. This is natural for the body to experiences some tardiness due to the change from the cold to the heat in the atmosphere. To counteract this tardiness of the body, people sing loudly or even speak loudly. Their movements are brisk and their music is loud. All of this helps to rejuvenate the system of the human body.

During this season, the weather changes, is believed to cause viral fever and cold. Now a days we have all facilities of warming up water to bath everyday is part of our daily routine but taking bath everyday in month of December and January in early years was not possible because of cold temperature. Holi was also a occasion where people play with colours and water and its like a mass bathing occasion too. The playful throwing of natural coloured powders has a medicinal significance, the colours are traditionally made of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other medicinal herbs which helps to de-worm the body. For wet colours, traditional flowers of Palash are boiled and soaked in water over night to produced yellow coloured water which also has similar de-worming property. A special drink called thandai is prepared, sometimes containing bhang (Cannabis indica) which is taken is small quantity which again is highly medicinal.

Unfortunately the commercial aspect of celebration has led to an increase in the use of synthetic colours which may be toxic, harms the skin and may cause temporary blindness.  Lets go back to our culture and celebrate holi in a traditional way, using organic, eco-friendly colours.

Wishing you all very happy HOLI.