Holi – A Festival of Love in South India
Holi is not celebrated with that intensity in Southern India as that of in Northern India. But people do indulge in merrymaking with urbanization and Bollywood glorifying the Holi. Phalguna Paurnami Holika’s death is celebrated across the country as Holi. Her image is burnt to symbolise the end of her existence all over the country even today. In the same way in the Southern States, they burn an image of Cupid or Kama. It is called the Kaman Pandigai or Kamavilas or Kama dahanam.
On this day the legend of Kamdev is narrated as the folk songs, the tragic story of Kamdev and Rati and his supreme sacrifice. This festival is considered as a festival of Love in the South. The folk songs sung during Holi are melancholic songs, which narrate the pathetic tale of Rati, the wife of Kamdev. Holi is the festival that marks the victory of spiritual bliss over material desires. Yet this festival is also celebrated as the festival of Love. An image of Kama and his consort Rati is painted and worshipped. The image of Kama is then burnt on the same day and hour as that of Holika.
Why is Kama burnt? The story goes like this. The demon Taraka kidnapped the apsaras from Lord Indra’s harem. Brihaspathi, Indra’s guru said that the offspring of Shiv and Parvati, Kumara, would bring down Taraka. But Shiva was in deep meditation after the death of his wife Sati.
The Legend of Kaamadeva
The story prevalent in South India is that of Kamadeva-the Love God (the Hindu equivalent of Cupid), who moves through the woods in the season of Spring, aiming his passion tipped arrows that pierce the heart at all who cross his path, from his bow made of sweet sugarcane strung with humming bees.
Legend has it that shortly after Shiva’s consort sati committed suicide due to the disgrace shown by her father, Daksha to Lord Shiva, Shiva became sad and started to meditate. Meanwhile, the daughter of the mountains, Parvati, started meditating to acquire Lord Shiva as the husband. Since Lord Shiva was least interested in the world, all the God became concerned and afraid. They approached Kaama and asked him to shoot his arrow on Lord Shiva so that he gets back to his original self and marry Parvati. So, Kaama went and shot his arrow but Lord Shiva was angered and opened his third eye and burnt Kaama to ashes. Shiva then looked towards Parvati and fructified her penance by marrying her.
The grief-stricken Rati, Kamdev’s wife, then beseeches Lord Shiva for mercy. Shiva relents and partly restores Kamadeva to Rati. Though she can see him, he remains without physical form ‘anang’. The songs sung here are the stories of Rati’s lamentations. Another interpretation is that Parvati (Siva’s consort) brings Kamadeva back to life and the day he breathed again is celebrated as Holi. Thus, Holi is also considered as a festival that celebrates love.
Celebrations
This festival is celebrated in two different moods. One is that of sorrow and mourning because Kaamadeva had died during this time. The other happy and celebratory emotion was due to the Rati getting blessed from Shiva on this day and her husband getting revived. On this day, people offer Sandalwood to Kaamadeva with the intention of easing the pain of burning. Songs are sung that portray feelings of sorrow and mourn the death of Kaamadeva. There is an altar that’s raised for more than ten days after which on the full moon day, it’s set ablaze and sugarcanes are thrown into the fire. Prior to this, there was general mourning among the people but, after this, there is merriment and two people dressed as Rati and Kaamadeva go around collecting money.
