Thursday 28 March 2013

Happy Holi Everyone!!
its been a while since i have blogged,work has been crazy!!creating and transferring embryos is all i have been doing the past few months,however i have decided that i will definetely take some time out for the blog and what better day to start again then the Auspicious Hindu Festival of Holi!
first a little bit about Holi.
The word Holi originated from "Holika", sister of hiranyakashyap who was the king of demons and he had been granted a boon by none other than Lord Brahma which made it almost impossible for him to be killed. The boon was granted to hiranyakashyap due to his long penance, after which he had demanded that he not be killed "during day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or in the sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by Astra nor by Shastra(weapons)".upon being granted this boon he grew arrogant and attacked the Heavens and the Earth and said that people should stop worshipping Gods and worship him instead!
 
however his own son Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu and his father Hiranyakaship did not like him offering prayers to Vishnu.Hiranyakahyap decides to kill Prahlad,first he tries to poison him but it turns to Nectar due to the Blessings of Lord Vishnu. He later orders for Prahlad to be trampled by elephants yet he remains unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and survived. All of Hiranyakaship's attempts to kill his son failed. Finally, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on a pyre in the lap of Holika, Hiranyakaship's demoness sister, who also could not die because she had a boon preventing her from being burned by fire. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders, and prayed to Lord Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed.The salvation of Prahlada and burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi.




 
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in the picture above-hiranyakashyap being killed By Narsimha the Avatar of Lord Vishnu!!

 
In Mathura where Lord Krishna grew up,Holi is celebrated for 16 days in commemoration of the divine love of Radha for Krishna. The festivities officially usher in spring and commemorates good harvests and fertile land and is also the celebrated season of love,with Millions of Hindus participating .it is a bit like the spanish Tomatina festival,only natural and artificial colours are used.

some friends Enjoying Holi.