Holi is a cultural, religious and traditional festival of Hindus. The full moon of every month has great importance in Sanatan Dharma and it is celebrated as some festival or the other. In this sequence of festivals, Holi is celebrated as Vasantotsav on the full moon day of Phalgun month. This day is considered one of the most important days as a reward for Vishnu Bhakti in Satyuga.
Phalgun Purnima Shubh Muhurat
According to the Vedic calendar, Phalgun Purnima is from 10:35 am on March 13 to 12:23 pm on March 14. Purnima fast will be observed on March 13. At the same time, Phalgun Purnima will be celebrated on March 14. Holi will be celebrated on this auspicious occasion.
Holika Dahan Bhadra Time
According to astrological calculations, Bhadra’s shadow is from 10:35 am to 11:26 pm on March 13. Auspicious works are prohibited during this time. Holika Dahan will also not be done during Bhadra.
Holika Dahan Shubh Muhurat
According to astrologers, the time of Holika Dahan on March 13 is from 11:26 pm to 12:30 pm. In simple words, Holika Dahan is of 64 minutes. Dahan will be done during this time.
The story is related to Bhakt Prahlad
According to Hinduism, Holika Dahan is mainly done in the memory of Bhakt Prahlad. Bhakt Prahlad was born in a demon clan but he was an ardent devotee of Lord Narayana. His father Hiranyakashyap did not like his devotion to God, so Hiranyakashyap gave Prahlad many types of heinous tortures. His aunt Holika had got such a dress as a boon that if she sat in the fire wearing it, the fire would not be able to burn her.
To kill Bhakt Prahlad, Holika wore that dress and sat in the fire with him in her lap. As a result of devotee Prahlad’s devotion to Vishnu, Holika was burnt and Prahlad did not suffer any harm. This festival started being celebrated in the joy of the victory of devotion over power. Along with this, the festival of colors gives the message that one should give up vices like lust, anger, pride, attachment and greed and concentrate on the devotion of God.
Connected with the holy love of Radha-Krishna
The festival is also associated with the holy love of Radha-Krishna. In ancient times, the festival started with the Holi of Shri Krishna and Radha in Barsana. Even today, the Lathmar Holi of Barsana and Nandgaon is world famous.
Kamadeva’s penance
According to Shiva Purana, Parvati, daughter of Himalaya, was doing rigorous penance to marry Shiva and Shiva was also engrossed in penance. Indra also had a hidden selfishness in the marriage of Shiva-Parvati that Tarakasur was to be killed by the son of Shiva-Parvati. For this reason, Indra and other gods sent Kamadeva to disrupt Shiva’s penance.
To break Lord Shiva’s penance, Kamadeva attacked Shiva with his flower arrow. Shiva’s meditation was disturbed due to the arrow, which filled his mind with lust and desire. Angered by this, Shiva opened his third eye and burnt Kamadeva to ashes. After Shiva’s penance was broken, the gods persuaded Shiva to marry Parvati. The gods celebrated this day as a festival in the joy of Kamadeva’s wife Rati getting the boon of her husband’s revival and Shiva accepting Parvati’s proposal. This day was the day of Falgun Purnima. Based on this incident, the victory of true love is celebrated by symbolically burning the feeling of lust.
