Holi 2012 : Is March 8 , 2012 a holiday in the India?

> Is March 8, 2012 a holi holiday in the India?

Yes, March 8, 2012 is a holiday in India in celebration of Holi.

Holi is Hindu festival celebrated by playing with powdered colors on Thursday, 8 March 2012 and Friday, 9 March 2012

• Why is Holi celebrated?

Myth and religion mingle with the urge to have a great time; and Holi is a celebration as much of the 'triumph of good over evil' as of the coming of spring and the passing of winter.

Image Credit: http://ww2.shaadi.com

There are myriad legends related to Holi and Hindus all around the world relive these stories every year and bring to life the incidents which they believe occurred thousands of years ago. This faith in God and ancient traditions is what still binds Indians in a spirit of love and harmony.

The very famous legend of Holi is of Holika and Prahlad. Its believed that there was a demon king named Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth and commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship him. But his son, Prahlad, who was a passionate devotee of Lord Naarayana refused to worship his father.

Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved his life every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a burning fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika deceitfully persuaded young Prahlad to sit in her lap in the fire where she herself was burnt in the blistering heat as she was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone. Legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her evil desire with her life and Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana in the fire, came out unharmed.

Therefore Holi is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil and as the triumph of a devotee.

Even today in several north Indian states, effigies of Holika are burnt in huge bonfires. People take a little fire from the bonfire to their homes as they believe that the pure fire will help to free their bodies from disease.

Likewise there are many other popular Holi legends like the love play of Radha Krishna, Invincible Dhundhi and Sacrifice of Kamadeva.

The festival is also believed to be a ritual of renewal; old relationships are pulled out of mothball preservation and aired in the sparkling sun.

• Tips for Holi Festival

• If you want to enjoy Holi to its fullest make sure to play safe. The best option would be to play with natural organic colours.

• Use more of red or pink colours that can also be taken off easily. Gaudy colours like purple, green etc may have more harmful chemicals in them and should be avoided.

• Make sure you oil your hair well before playing Holi so that the colour doesn’t stick on your hair and will be washed off quickly. You may also cover your hair with a cap or scarf to avoid any damage to your hair.

• Also apply thick cream on your face and thick coating of nail paint on your nails to keep them protected.

• If you heading to visit Nandgao or Barsana for ‘lath maar’ Holi then make sure you are well padded.

• Holi is famous for its traditional rich food like gujiyaas and chole bhature and drinks like bhaang and thandaai. Avoid over indulgence in bhang or food to enjoy the festivities to its fullest.

• In case the attempt to save your face from a colour attack fails, make sure to keep your eyes and lips tightly shut.

source: Different Articles on the Web

Posted in: 8 march is non-working day, Announcement on holi 2012, inews, march 7 is working day, March 8 Special Holiday, march 9 is a holiday, No Classes on march 8 in india, when is holi 2012 is celebrated?