Holi – The festival that Colourfully unites the country
Holi, the very word reminds us of colours being splashed by people on each other. The festival of colours is usually celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna. The festival is celebrated across the country and by all sections of the people. It also marks the festival of harvest is many parts of India. There are numerous legends and stories associated with the festival, but of late it is more to do with celebrating friendship and forgiveness.
One of the important legends associated with the Holi festival is the story of Hiranyakashyap and his son Prahlad. Since the son doesn’t obey the father and worships Lord Vishnu, Hiranyakashyap decides to kill Prahlad. Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika who is said to be immune to burning takes Prahlad and goes into the fire. While Holika dies in the fire, Prahlad comes out unscathed. In remembrance of Holika, on the eve of the festival, Holika Dahan, bonfires are done all across the country. It is said to ward off all the bad omens, cleanse evil spirits and bad vibes. The festival marks the destruction of the wicked Holika for whom the festival has been named.
Although Holi is observed all over the country, it’s celebrated with special joy and zest in the northern parts. Each area celebrates the festival differently. Let us look at different regions and their way of celebrating the festival. 
Bengal – Basanth Utsav, Dol Yatra
In Bengal, it is called Dol Yatra, or spring festival. Traditionally the festival is celebrated with idols of Krishna and Radha placed on swings and devotees take turns to swing them. Women dance around the swing and sing devotional songs, as men spray coloured water and coloured powder called abeer. Later processions are taken out with bands and with faces and bodies covered with Holi colours. Nobel laureate and poet Rabindranath Tagore introduced Basanta Utsav in the school at Shantiniketan, the seat of learning that he founded. The Basanta Utsav literally means spring festival. Orissa follows traditions similar to those of Bengal, the only difference being that idols of Lord Jagannath replace Lord Krishna and Radha. This is probably because the famous Jagannath Temple of Puri is situated in Orissa. And “Jagannath”, meaning ‘the Lord of the Universe’, is yet another name of Krishna.
Uttar Pradesh – Latthmaar Holi
Holi in Mathura is celebrated for over a week. Being a city of temples, each day of the week it is celebrated in a different temple. Holi in ‘Banke Bihari ‘Temple in Vrindavan is considered sacred. Holi is also celebrated as ‘Gulal-Kund’ in Braj, a lake near the Govardhan hill. At this sacred site, tourists and pilgrims drench themselves in colour. The men-folk of Nandgaon and the women-folk of Barsana, which is the birthplace of Radha, come together and play the ‘Latthmaar Holi’ in which the women beat men with sticks and the men try to avoid with their shields. It is all done playfully and with much merriment.
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Uttarakhand – Khadi Holi
Khadi holi is played in the Kumaon region that includes mainly towns in Uttrakhand. As a part of the celebration, the locals wear traditional clothes, sing khari songs and dance in groups. They move in tolis, and greet the people they pass by. In this region, Holi is usually a musical gathering in different versions known as Baithika Holi, Khadi Holi and Mahila Holi.
Maharashtra – Ranga Panchami
In Maharashtra, the festival is known as Rangapanchami and it is celebrated with dancing and singing. Maharashtra celebrates Holi in the most fun way possible. Colour celebrations take place on the 5th day after Holika dahan and are known as Ranga Panchami.
Bihar – Phaguwa
Bihar and Holi go hand in hand. The festival is known as Phaguwa in the local Bhojpuri dialect. However, in Bihar, it’s important to light the Holika pyre before playing Holi. After that, Holi is played with folk songs, water and powdered colours derived from natural sources. Consumption of Bhang is also a part of the holi celebrations in the state.
Punjab – Halla Mohalla
The Sikhs also celebrate Holi but call it Hola Mohalla. And like the rest of the country, the festivities are marked with feasting and merriment. The farmers play Holi with great joy in celebration of the new harvest and offer their first crop to Agnidev – the god of Fire.
Goa – Shigmo
Shigmo festival is a massive spring celebration in Goa. It is one of the major festivals of Hindus. Here, traditional folk and street dances are done by farmers. Even tourists at Goa celebrate this festival with a lot of excitement.
Rajasthan – Royal Holi
On the eve of Holi, locals light bonfires to mark the occasion and get rid of evil spirits in the holika dahan. This celebration is done at a grand level by Udaipur’s Mewar royal family. The fancy procession includes decorated horses and the royal band. Later, the traditional sacred fire is lit and an effigy of Holika is burnt.
Manipur – Yaosang
In Manipur, Holi or Yaosang is celebrated for six days. It starts on the day of the full moon and combines Hindu and indigenous traditions. The highlight of the festival is the Thabal chongba, a Manipuri folk dance that is performed during. To add to the traditions and maintain uniformity, the Hindus of Manipur play this festival with colours too.
Assam – Phakuwah
Phagwah is Assam’s name for Holi. It is similar to Bengal’s ‘Dol Jatra’. However, here the festival is celebrated over two days. On the 1st day, clay huts are burnt signifying the legend of Holika dahan. On the 2nd day, the locals celebrate it with colours just like everyone else.
Kerala – Manjal Kuli
Down south, Holi isn’t as popular as it is in North India. However, some communities in the southern part of the country celebrate Holi, but with distinct traditions and names. In Kerala, Holi is called Manjal Kuli and is celebrated in the Konkani temple of Gosripuram Thirumala.
Tamil Nadu – Kaman pandagai
In Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh Holi is celebrated as Kaman Pandagai, the festival of Kaama Deva. The legend of Kamdev is quite prevalent in this part of the nation. The folk songs narrate the tragic story of Kamdev and Rati and it is considered as a festival of love.
@religionworldbureau
