Holi Festival, which is held on the first full moon of March mainly in India and Nepal. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival dedicated to the arrival of spring. The festival begins with the lighting, the night before Holi, of a bonfire of dung and wood called Holika Dahan, where Holika is the name of a demon in Hindu scriptures.
There are a multitude of myths associated with the festival, but the story of Prahlad and Holika remains the most popular among all.
In India today they burn demons made of straw and wood. This evening for the colorful celebration of Holi, bonfires are lit to symbolically burn Holika. Holika was Hiranyakashipu's sister. Like all self-respecting Hindu demons, Hiranyakashipu was powerful, ambitious and had an enormous ego.
Through wars and violence, the demon had managed to subjugate the universe. The mere idea that someone would refuse to prostrate themselves at his feet was intolerable to him, so he had forced the entire world to worship him as the only supreme god.
Everyone worshipped him, but in the privacy of his own home the demon had failed. Prahlad, his son, in whose veins flowed the same pure demonic blood, was in fact devoted to the god Vishnu who he refused to deny in order to indulge his father's mania for power. Threats, orders and pleas had been of no avail - Prahald had to be eliminated.
The sad task was taken on by Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu and paternal aunt of Prahlad. With words and tender caresses Holika took her nephew in her arms, as relatives do when they want to express their affection and suddenly she threw herself into the flames of a large fire.
Holika had obtained from Brahma, through penance, the power of immunity from fire. If I throw myself into the flames with my grandson in my arms, the demoness must have planned, in a few minutes it will all be over, poor crazy child.
With a determined spirit to complete the mission entrusted to her and the certainty of acting for the good of her species, Holika threw herself into the bonfire – unaware of the protective force of faith in Vishnu, unaware of the twists and turns of fate.
As often happens with demons, ego and pride were her downfall. The demoness was not completely immortal. Engulfed in flames, Holika burst into flame, dying with cries of pain and tears of amazement.
It is said that the supernatural gift had implicit limitations that the demoness had not paid attention to – for example, it seems to be valid only when Holika was alone and could not be used as a weapon to do harm.
Or perhaps it was Prahlad's prayers imbued with absolute faith that thwarted his aunt's evil intentions. In fact, the fire reduced Holika to a pile of ashes, while Prahlad, protected by the great god of good Vishnu, did not burn even a hair.
Every year on the night before Holi called Holika dahan or or Chhoti Holi, bonfires are lit to commemorate the victory of faith in God and good. Holika, who was not a totally evil aunt but was a demoness born to fulfill her dark destiny, also represents the very human tendency to make mistakes.
The symbolic rite of fire in which once a year the demonic idol is burned, purifies from the weight of the mistakes made, to start a new season with an immaculate soul and clothes and the hope of improving in the heart.
During the ceremony, traditional hymns are sung and people dance around the fire, creating an atmosphere of unity and celebration. For many, this is a time of personal reflection, where they try to cleanse themselves of negative energies, letting go of old grudges and conflicts.
It is also an opportunity to pray for a prosperous future, free from hardships and full of joy. The light of the bonfire symbolizes renewal and hope, marking the beginning of a new cycle.
