Holi, the exuberant festival of colors, is one of the most widely celebrated festivals in the Hindu calendar. Known as Fagu Purnima in Nepal, it marks spring’s arrival and new harvest beginnings. But few know its DARK origins…
The most famous legend comes from the Bhagavata Purana. Demon king Hiranyakashipu demanded worship as a god, but his son Prahlad defied him, worshipping Lord Vishnu instead. Enraged, Hiranyakashipu enlisted his fire-immune sister Holika to kill Prahlad. She tricked him into a pyre—but her evil boon backfired!
Holika burned to ashes while Prahlad survived unscathed by devotion.
This is why Holika Dahan bonfires blaze on Holi’s eve: symbolizing good’s triumph over evil.
Holi’s colors? That’s another story…
Image by wal_172619 from Pixabay
