Holi is the festival of the spring season. It is a festival of color and fun and just as Nature these days wears a gown of flowers of various clouds so do the people playing Holi.

Like Diwali and Dussehra. Holi also has a religious background. It is said that King Haranakashypa in ancient times wanted to destroy his deeply religious son, Prahlad, in fire.

He entrusted this job to his sister Holika who planned to sit with Prahlad in the burning fire. Though she was herself immune from fire yet the evil in her mind destroyed her instead of Prahlad.

Thus righteousness came out victorious and the event in course of time became a matter of jubilation. Since then the celebration of Holi has become an annual feature in the life of Hindus.

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Holi is mostly celebrated in north and central India. In the countryside peasantry celebrates it with great enthusiasm since by this time winter crops are ready and the peasants are free. They give free play to their limbs. The famous Bhangra dance and the physical force with which peasants perform it indicate their care-free mood.

In cities on the main day of Holi, countless liters of colored water are brought into use. From early morning people of all age groups come out of their homes and form groups. These groups carry with them colored water in syringes and whosoever meets them on the way is given a bath. Sometimes they have to chase their victims. They sing songs as they precede shouting in between “Holi hai”, “Holi hai”. Their clothes are stained beyond recognition.

Bazars are closed on this day and all traffic comes to a standstill. Sometimes a speeding car is spotted by them. Balloons full of colored water are thrown from a distance into the car. Sometimes such cars are forced to halt. The occupants are spared the bath only if they agree to pay for it.

The sober people do not sprinkle water. Instead they use colored powder. They visit their friends and relations and apply the powder on their foreheads. People of other communities also take part in this form of celebrations.

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Many evils have crept in into the celebration of Holi. Sometimes people make use of this opportunity to wreak vengeance on their enemies by depositing a lot of garbage on their doors. Also, they mix harmful substances with color to cause damage to the faces of their enemies. Often such evil deeds remain unchecked because the culprits escape under cover of the spirit of Holi. Barring such evil practice the festival of Holi is one of the finest festivals of Hindus.