Holi Festival 2012, Hindu Celebration Of Colour In India (PICTURES)

Lathmar Holi

Huffington Post UK   First Posted: 6/03/2012 11:31 Updated: 6/03/2012 11:31

India’s festival of colour has burst into life, marking the coming of spring.

The celebration of Holi begins with public bonfires and gatherings under a full moon. It continues with the wearing and throwing of coloured powders and liquids.

Holi commemorates the myth of Hiranyakashipu and his son Prahlada.

Prahlada is a devotee of Lord Vishnu who protects him in a series of murder attempts by his father. The bonfires of Holi represent one of these attempts in which Hiranyakashipu attempted to burn his son alive.

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India’s festival of colour has burst into life, marking the coming of spring. The celebration of Holi begins with public bonfires and gatherings under a full moon. It continues with the wearing ...
India’s festival of colour has burst into life, marking the coming of spring. The celebration of Holi begins with public bonfires and gatherings under a full moon. It continues with the wearing ...
 
 
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05:13 AM on 03/12/2012
Some great pics here. Holi is probably the most colorful festival in the world. It's not just about color but gaiety and bonhomie and playfulness too which could be summarized in one word CRAZY :-) Here's how I celebrated it http://bit.ly/x1uNoT
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Hans Bickel
Wisdom Is Applied Truth
04:36 AM on 03/08/2012
It's a fun-filled festival with millions of years worth of tradition, hardly the stuff of myth. Show me an outright myth that has survived even a thousand years. Don't expect us to fall for the I declare such and such to be a myth, syndrome like this HP column. Real myths like the Easter Bunny and Tooth Fairy survive because they give pleasure to kids, but as for adults, they don't embrace myths like children do, especially in regard to philosophy and theology. When commemorative events pass the test of time they should no longer be regarded as myth, unless you can prove otherwise.
04:44 PM on 06/04/2012
it should be about about 3888000 years old(Satya-Yuga+Treta-Yuga+Dwapara-Yuga time periods)
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Hans Bickel
Wisdom Is Applied Truth
10:28 PM on 06/04/2012
One cycle of the yugas including 432,000 years of Kali-yuga of which we have entered about 5,000 years equals one day of Lord Brahma who lives 100 years, at the end of which this universe returns to Maha Vishnu. This festival is celebrated during both the day and night of Lord Brahma and is therefore much older than even a few million years. Hence the festival can even be described as eternal, especially since there are countless other universes aside from ours, that happens to be a relatively small one.
10:17 AM on 03/07/2012
never heard of this before, they on some wyld stuff over there in india
05:16 AM on 03/12/2012
You may say it is as wild as the Tomato festival but not as violent as the Pamplona bull festival :-)
photo
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elizabethjl
11:05 PM on 03/06/2012
Indian Hindu worshippers throw colored powder and water on them during Lathmar Holi at Nandagram Temple, in Nandgaon,India, Saturday. According to tradition which has its roots in Hindu mythology men from Barsana arrive at the temple where they are soaked in colored water by men from Nandgaon, believed to be Lord Krishna's village, and then beaten by the women of the village with wooden sticks as they depart the town...violence as well hahaha
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Hans Bickel
Wisdom Is Applied Truth
05:17 AM on 03/08/2012
Time to wake up, it's the 21st Century. No more excuses for thinking everything outside the realm of your social experience or beliefs is mythological. Lord Krishna visited this planet 5,000 years ago and HIS activities are well documented in the Mahabharata and Srimad Bhagavatam. HE even reappeared as Lord Caitanya Mahaprabhu a mere 500 years ago in Navadwipa, India, and that appearance will be celebrated with Thursday's rising of the full moon, hence the name Sri Gaura Purnima. Many sources describe Sri Caitanya's divine activities, activities that no human is capable of. It may seem like myth to you, but in reality that only reflects the limits to your knowledge.

Sri Krishna and Lord Caitanya are the same person, the Supreme Personality of Godhead. In this era Their Names will be chanted in every town and village. They already are on all continents and in every country. 50 years ago, maybe a dozen countries, at most.

Christ and Krishna are the same name, just as John and Johann are the same. GOD is ONE, but there are innumerable names used to address GOD. The original name is KRISHNA, the All-Attractive Person. Therefore chant Hare Krishna, Hare Krishna, Krishna Krishna, Hare Hare, Hare Rama, Hare Rama, Rama Rama, Hare Hare, and your life will become sublime, much happier. Hari bol!
05:17 AM on 03/12/2012
It's not violence actually. It's kinda more of fun and frolic :-)
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elizabethjl
09:54 AM on 03/12/2012
I think it does look like fun, it was just the way it was written made me laugh, India has the most amazing vibrant festivals, :))
photo
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Norman Mitchison
02:01 PM on 03/06/2012
Should add a bit of colour to a lot of English towns then.
photo
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Barbara Longstaff
10:54 PM on 03/25/2012
Enough of them over here.
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Norman Mitchison
05:22 PM on 03/26/2012
No vacant shop corners.