Holi: Hurling colors at peers

By Siddhi B. Ranjitkar

If you happen to be in Nepal particularly in Kathmandu on the full moon day in March, you probably notice teenagers screaming at each other in excitement after hurling colored-water-filled balloons at each other. They might be on terraces, porches or on streets with plastic bagful of balloons filled with fresh water or colored water and waiting for their chance to throw those balloons at others. They often attempt to surprise the peers or neighbors by unannounced and well-targeted throws of balloons. If the balloons hit the targets then the attackers would go wild in screaming at the victims in excitement, if the attackers missed the targets the other side would go wild in excitement. Teenagers in groups armed with the colored-water-filled balloons go from one place to another, looking for peers to hit. However, they might attack anybody if they found her/him fit to do so. So, if you are not willing to be one of their victims better stay home for a day on the ‘Holi’ day.

The Home Ministry issues a customary notice of warning to the Holi players of possible legal actions against those hurling colored-water-filled balloons at strangers or at others against their will. However, neither the police nor the players do care much about such a warning.

Nepalis in general celebrate the spring festival called ‘Fagu’ or ‘Holi’ for eight days starting on the eighth day and ending on the full moon day in the month called ‘Fagun’ in the Vikram calendar. It reaches the peak celebration on the last day of the festival.

Revelers neither make offerings or sacrifice animals to any god or goddess nor take a fast for earning merits on this occasion, as this festival is only for enjoyment. They enjoy hurling colors at each other, singing amorous songs and expressing the advent of the spring season.

Officially the ‘Holi’ festival starts off after ceremoniously installing the three-tiered umbrella-like flagpole called “caira” at Vasantapur in Kathmandu one week before the full moon day, and ends on the full moon day after lowering down the flagpole at night. The state priests officiate the installing of the “caira”, then, it is officially open to play with colors among the peers.

The state priests also set up a bush plant with multi-colored strips of linen hung on it at every ancient palace courtyard called Layaku of former city-states. This is also called a ‘caira’. The bush plant represents the holy tree called ‘kadam’ on which Lord Krishna hung the apparels left by milkmaids for swimming in the Jamuna River.

In terai, Madheshi people celebrate the ‘Holi’ festival with more vigor than in Kathmandu one day after the full moon day. As the symbol of opening of the Holi festival, they set up a ‘caira’ at every village courtyard in terai. Thereafter, every night they beat drums and sing amorous songs. They eat sweet balls mixed with ‘bhanga’ that causes them tipsy.

Nepalis have been celebrating the ‘Fagu’ or ‘Holi’ festival entirely for fun on the advent of the spring season. Later on, some religious-minded individuals must have related this festival to one myth or another suited to their religion, culture and tradition. In the course of time, both Hindu and Buddhist Nepalis began relating this festival either to a Hindu myth or a Buddhist myth to explain its origin.

Lord Krishna noticing some milkmaids swimming in nude, picked up their apparels left on the bank of the river and hung them on the branches of the ‘kadam’ tree and begun playing his favorite flute. When the nude women swimmers heard the flute music they noticed Krishna sitting on one of the branches of the tree and playing his flute. To their horror they also noticed that their apparels were also hanging on the branches of the tree.

Nude women swimmers begged Krishna to return their apparels and save them from disgrace. However, Krishna pretended that he had not heard their voices. Finally, Krishna agreed on returning their apparels on condition that they would never swim or bathe in nude.

Women in turn wanted to make fun of Krishna. So, they made a plan to smear Krishna with various colors and make fun of him. They told Krishna to put on his best apparel and come to a courtyard to meet them. All the women gather at a courtyard with a bagful of powder of different colors. Unsuspected Krishna came in his best clothing to the courtyard where all those women gathered. As soon as the women saw Krishna come in they surrounded him and everybody started off smearing his face with the colors they brought. Some people believe that the tradition of playing with colors has started since then.

Another myth about the beginning of the ‘Holi’ festival is about Holika. Atheist King Hiranya Kasyapu did not recognize anybody, as a god rather he declared himself a god and ordered all teachers to teach all children that he was the only god. The king had a son called Prahald. He did not agreed with his teacher on accepting his father Hiranya Kasyapu, the god; for him the only god was Lord Vishnu. He meditated on Lord Vishnu whenever he had some free time.

Hiranya Kasyapu tried many tricks on his son Prahald to divert his attention from Lord Vishnu to himself. However, he could not succeed in doing so. Then, he saw no alternative to destroying his own son. So, he ordered his courtiers to dispose of his son Prahald. They made many attempts on the life of Prahald, however, Lord Vishnu saved Prahald from death each time they tried to kill him.

Ultimately, Hiranya Kasyapu approached his sister Holika and told her what he wanted. Holika had received a boon that any fire would not burn her. So, Hiranya Kasyapu was sure she would emerge unhurt while Prahald would be burnt to ashes if she could jump taking Prahald on her lap to bonfire. Holika wanted to do something good for his brother taking the life of her nephew. So, she took Prahald on her lap and jumped from the palace terrace into the bonfire made at the royal courtyard. Prahald was chanting the name of Lord Vishnu while jumping with his auntie into the fire. Prahald emerged untouched by the fire but Holika burnt to ashes.

Smearing the face of Prahald with vermillion, people welcomed him back to life again. So, some of us believe that the tradition of the festival of ‘Holi’ was started, as the victory of virtue over the vice represented by Holika, and ‘Holi’ is derived from Holika. The anniversary of this event is celebrated making bonfire at each village in terai every year.

Nepalese Buddhists also not far behind relating this festival with a myth. They relate this festival to a merchant leaving his family behind went to Lhasa seeking fortune there. After amassing a huge wealth, the merchant called Singha-sartha-bahu wanted to come back home in Nepal. However, he found out that his colleagues were in love with the local women, and were under the control of them. He could not help his colleagues in returning back home, as they were under the magic spell of the women.

He then prayed to Lord Karunamaya: one of the incarnations of Lord Avalokitesvora for help. One night the lord came to his dream and explained to him how his friends and he could escape from these women.

As suggested by the lord, his friends and the merchant sneak out of Lhasa at mid night and traveled back home without looking back throughout the journey. In Nepal their friends and relatives welcomed them jubilantly hurling vermilion in air to express their joy and victory on their return. This celebration was repeated every year to commemorate their return setting the tradition of playing with colors. This later on became known as the ‘Fagu’ festival.

Later on, merchant Singha-sartha-bahu became a ‘Cakan dao’. Local people deified him as a ‘Dao’ means a god and worshipped him, and even held a festival in his honor on the occasion of the ‘Fagu’ festival once a year. So, local people in Thamel, Kathmandu take out ‘Cakan dao’ on the full moon day.

The ‘Fagu’ or ‘Holi’ festival is a non-religious and non-sectarian festival. Almost all Nepalis celebrate it for a bit of fun and frolic after a long spell of dreary winter season. Although it is linked to various myths, this festival is mainly for welcoming the spring season in high spirits.

When the tradition of this Holi festival was set in Nepal is a matter of research but the Licchavi rulers made it an enjoyable festival, as Licchavis were known for pioneering the cultural development in Nepal. Their administration had lasted from 300 to 879 A.D.

The social importance of this festival reached the peak during the reign of the Malla Kings starting in 1200 A.D. and ending in 1769 A.D, as they gave a royal importance to it. So, at that time the high-ranking state officials need to wear an especially prepared white linen dress and go to the royal courtyard to play colors with the then Malla royalties. The royalties took part in playing ‘Fagu’ with the high-ranking officials at the palace courtyard and then have a nice-festive dinner in the evening. They made it mandatory for the high-ranking officials to dress in clean white and go to the palace to receive vermilion from the king and royalties as their blessings. Common people also went to their seniors and elders to receive vermillion from them as blessings on the ‘Fagu’ festival day. This tradition has faded away.

During the last millennium, the ‘Fagu’ or ‘Holi’ festival has undergone a sea change from a respectable color game to a current day nuisance of throwing colors on pedestrians and strangers indiscriminately without any warning. It is a fun for somebody but misery for others.

March 4, 2009.