The Legend Of Holi.

Holika (from where Holi comes from) was a female demon, and the sister of Hiranyakashyap, the demon king who considered himself ruler of the Universe and commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. Prahalad was the king’s son. His father hated him because Prahalad was a faithful devotee of the God Vishnu, not him. One day the king asked him “Who is the greatest,Vishnu or I?” “Vishnu is,” said the son, “you are only a king.” The king was furious and decided to murder his son. He tried several ways to kill his son, but failed every time; Prahalad survived being thrown over a cliff, being trampled by elephants, bitten by snakes, and attacked by soldiers. So the king asked his sister, Holika, to kill the boy. Holika captured Prahalad and sat in the middle of a fire with the boy on her lap. Since Holika had been given a magic power by the Gods that made her immune to fire, Prahalad would burn to death while she remained alive. But because Holika used her gift to do something evil, her power vanished and she was burned to ashes. Prahalad stayed true to his God, Vishnu who protected him, and Prahalad survived.

Therefore Holi is celebrated as a festival of the victory of good over evil.  In many parts of India, the dummy of Holika is burned on large bonfires.

How We Ended Up Celebrating Holi.

We ended up celebrating this festival while travelling through northeast India. All over sudden we were covered in colourful dust while searching for our hotel in Kalimpong, West Bengal. We just threw our bags into the room and went with the flow.

Although Holi has religious roots, not much religious activity is involved in its celebration anymore. It’s the most energetic Indian festival, filled with fun and humour – even the strict rules of separation between castes are abandoned during the festival; it simply connects people. They’re dancing through the streets, accompanied by trucks with music equipment to get the tensions really high.

We had the opportunity to sit up on one of these floats. It was totally crazy, with people throwing colourful powders, dancing and unbearable noise.

There’s A Down Side To The Holi Festival.

The down side of the Holi festival is that these colours are all highly toxic! You don’t feel it immediately, but they’re also capable of causing serious skin complications and allergies. The artificial colours that are used are structured polymers and are next to impossible to decompose biologically. Every year, people die from poisoning from colored powder and water used during Holi celebrations…

Weeks before the Holi festival takes place, toxic colours can be bough in every street.

Holi is celebrated at the approach of vernal equinox, during full moon. The festival date varies every year, per the Hindu calendar, and typically comes in March.

Holi is one of the major festival of India and is the most vibrant of all.

During the Holi festival, there is no getting away from colours being thrown at you.

The festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget and forgive, and repair ruptured relationships.

This truck was re-arranged as a music float leading the crowd of people through Kalimpong during the Holi celebration.

Holi is the most energetic Indian festival, filled with fun and humour.

Old and young celebrate during the Holi festival.

The Holi festival connects people. They’re dancing through the streets, accompanied by trucks with music equipment to get the tensions really high.

You can still feel the aftermath of the Holi festival days after…

The world is fascinating. People and cultures inspire us. Sadly, the fast paced lifestyles of our generation result in many not taking the necessary step back to soak in the existing world around us. The goal with this film is to help viewers further appreciate and take notice of the beauty in life & culture that lies within our world…

…so the next time you notice something that strikes you as interesting, stop for a second, start powering on your camera, think about why it’s unique, and snap the shot before you miss it. Life is extraordinary. Embrace it.