Holi -- Legends

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Holi -- Legends

Lord Krishna:

Krishna's mythological presence in Holi is undisputed. Vrindavan and

Lord Krishna`s legend of courting Radha and playing pranks on the

Gopis are also the essence of Holi. In Hindu mythology, Lord Krishna

in his youth has been idealised as a lover, and it is the spirit of

his lighthearted, mischievous passion of courtship that enters the

Spring festival of Holi. Krishna and Radha are depicted celebrating

Holi in the hamlets of Gokul, Barsana and Vrindavan, bringing them

alive with mischief and youthful pranks. Holi was Krishna and

Radha`s celebration of love - a teasing, affectionate panorama of

feeling and colour. These scenes have been captured and

immoratalised in the songs of Holi: the festival that is also the

harbinger of the light, warm, beautiful days of Spring.

 

Hiranya Kasyapu:

nother story relates to an ancient demoniac king in India known as

Hiranya Kasyapu. All his subjects followed his orders except for his

son Prahlad, who was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. This infuriated

his father who wanted to punish him. The king asked Prahlad to

embrace a red hot pole. But, he was unhurt. Then, he asked Prahlad

to jump off a steep cliff, but was unhurt again. Prahlad obeyed his

father each time chanting Vishnu`s name. Hiranya Kasyapu ordered

that Prahlad be trampled by an elephant. But, he was unhurt.

 

As Prahlad was not hurt by all the punishment, Hiranya Kasyapu

called his sister Holika from the gods that she would not burn in a

fire. Holika made Prahlad sit on her lap in the fire.

 

But, this time, Holika was burnt to death and Prahlad was unhurt.

Eventually, the ordeals faced by Prahlad climaxed in the emanation

of Narahari or Narasimha who destroyed Hiranya Kasyapu. Again, this

displayed the triumph of a true Bhakta (devotee) over the evil

represented by Hiranya Kasyapu. Prahlad never lost faith in the Lord

despite all his ordeals.

 

Kamdev:

In South India specially in Tamilnadu and Kerala the legend that is

popular is of Kamdev-the Love-god, his bow is of sugarcane having

the string of a line of humming bees and his arrow-shafts are topped

with passion that pierce the heart. In spring he moves through

woodlands and hunts birds, beasts and men. Once in his foolish

pride, he aimed his arrow at the mighty Lord Shiv who was in deep

meditation.

 

Lord Shiv opened his third eye and burnt him to ashes. Grief-

stricken Rati, Kamdev's wife beseeched Lord Shiv to take pity on her

and restore her husband to life. Shiv relented and granted her the

boon that she could see her husband but he would remain "anang" that

meant without the physical human form. Hence, the songs sung during

Holi tell the pathetic tale of Rati and her lamentations. In

Tamilnadu Holi is known by three different names - Kamavilas, Kaman

Pandigai and Kama-dahanam.