India is the land of traditions, cultures, and festivals. One such traditional festival is Holi. Holi is the festival of colours that is celebrated all across the country with various rituals that include food, drinks, games and music. It is undoubtedly one of the most vibrant Indian festivals. The festival of Holi is celebrated in March. This year Holi will be celebrated on 24 March-25 March 2024. Holi is a huge Hindu festival that is celebrated to commemorate the mythological tale of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap. To learn about Holi home decoration ideas, keep reading this blog.
Table of Contents
History and Significance
As per the mythological belief, the festival of Holi is celebrated to commemorate the tale of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap. The latter was a demon king who was blessed with a boon from Lord Vishnu that he could never be killed by a human or an animal, during day or night, inside or outside and neither on the ground nor above. In his pride, Hiranyakashyap said that only he should be worshipped and not god. On the other hand, his own son Prahlad was a true devotee and worshipper of Lord Vishnu. This devotion of Prahlad made the demon king infuriated. In this rage, he asked Prahlad to jump off a mountain, Prahlad did the same while chanting the name of Lord Vishnu and remained unhurt.
After this, Hiranyakashayp made a few other attempts as well to harm Prahlad such as poisoning him, ordering wild elephants to trample him, and putting him in a room of venomous and angry snakes. But all his attempts failed. Finally, he asked his sister Holika to sit on a pyre. Hollika sat on the pyre with Prahlad. She wore a shawl that could not be burnt so that only Prahlad would get burned. However, they flew from her to Prahlad to protect him while Hollika was killed in the fire. After this incident, Lord Vishnu appeared on earth in a half-human half-animal avatar and ripped apart the body of Hiranyakashyap at dusk on his porch steps.
A day before Holi, people perform Hollika Dahan (Burning of Hollika) by lit up a bonfire with the belief of burning bad energy in it. Thus, to remember this triumph of good over evil, we celebrate the festival of Holi every year.
Also Read: Holi Mela and Fairs
How is it Celebrated?
This festival is generally celebrated with colours like gulal, flower petals and water. To add more to the revelry people often turn to some music accompanied by traditional drinks like Thandai or Bhaang. In different parts of India, the festival is celebrated with different rituals.
Vrindavan
The festival of Holi is celebrated with utmost enthusiasm in Vrindavan, the residence town of Lord Krishna (avatar of Lord Vishnu). In various temples of Vrindavan, people smart each other with colours and flower petals. There are processions as well in which people play with gulal and dance to music.
Barsana
The town of Barsana witnesses one of the most bizarre Holi celebration rituals. The people of Barsana play “Lathmar Holi”. In which the ladies of town hit the men of the town playfully with a stick (Lath) while the men tried to defend themselves. Well, it is quite a sight to witness the women giggling while playing this Holi in Barsana.
Rajasthan and Shantiniketan
The state of Rajasthan and the town of Shantiniketan in West Bengal celebrate the Holi festival to welcome the season of spring and bid good riddance to the chills of winter by smearing colours, creating art and dancing to their cultural music. It is one of the most vibrantly scenic views of the season to see people enjoying the festival.
Also Read: Why do we Celebrate Holi?
Holi Home Decoration Ideas
It is in the culture of India to decorate our homes for a festival. And Holi is certainly a huge festival for which people wish to decorate their homes and get together with family and friends. The following are some of the recommended Holi home decoration ideas:
Drapes and Curtains
You can choose to buy some colourful and floral patterned curtains for your drawing room or bedroom to give it a whole colourful theme vibe. The other option is you can decorate your interior as well as exterior walls with a cloth draped in different styles and colours and enjoy the stylish vibe of it.
Wall Paints or Wall Mural
You can choose to paint or have your wall painted more colourfully, you can also play with the pattern on the wall and opt for designs like leaves, flowers, or mandalas. You can also try to paint murals symbolising your mythological belief of the Holi festival or you can also write some positive quotes using different colours on the walls.
Floral Decoration
Festival Decorations in India are incomplete without flowers. You can certainly always go right with floral decoration. There are many ways in which you can do this like choosing garlands for your walls and doors and putting flower petals in a clear glass vase would add an elegant and beautiful touch to your table and corners.
Coloured Lights
Light is meant to light up every festival according to their vibe. You can choose a variety of coloured light options like decorating your living room walls, your bedroom, small lights for your tables and corners or even ceiling lights or lanterns to set the festive mode on. These lights are available in many colours and some can be customised. You can opt for a single colour or mix and match with colours to add different shades and feel to your surroundings.
Also Read: Holi Essay: Free Sample Essays 100 To 500 Words In English
Related Blogs
Happy Holi Wishes | Holi Essay |
Variation of Holi in Different States of India | Lathmar Holi |
The Science Behind Holi | A Collection of Stories Related to Holi |
FAQs
This festival is generally celebrated with colours like gulal, flower petals and water. To add more to the revelry people often turn to some music accompanied by traditional drinks like Thandai or Bhaang.
The popular places to celebrate Holi in India are:
Vrindavan
Barsana
Brij
Rajasthan
Shantiniketan
As per the mythological belief, the festival of Holi is celebrated to commemorate the tale of Prahlad and Hiranyakashyap and to remember this triumph of good over evil.
For more information about such informative articles, check the trending events page of Leverage Edu.