HOLI is a popular festival of the Indus Valley civilisation that is celebrated by the Hindu community as well as people of this faith living elsewhere. It is also famous as the festival of colours.

However, the festival has subsequently evolved as a secular carnival of colours and celebration of brotherhood. In Pakistan, particularly Sindh, where a majority of Pakistani Hindus reside, the festival is celebrated with full enthusiasm and fervour. Their joy is fully shared by their fellow citizens of the Muslim community.

In many of Sindh’s universities and colleges, Holi is celebrated by one and all. The day is all colour, celebration, and joy for all. The participants take colour and run behind their colleagues to smear them with the dye and spread cheer.

Holi is all about honouring Lord Vishnu who killed King Hiranyakashipu in his Narasimha avatar. Holika is the evil aunt of Prahlada, the ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu and the son of Hiranyakashipu who tried to kill Prahlada for worshipping Lord Vishnu and not accepting his father as a god.

The festival of Holi lasts for two days. On the first night, people light bonfires as part of the ceremony called the Burning of Holika. On the second day, people celebrate Holi with colours smearing and spraying each other, singing and dancing and relishing sweet delicacies.

The celebration symbolises the beginning of a new relationship with oneself and others, forgetting and forgiving past mistakes.

This is a prayer that may god bring harmony and good relations among people of all religion and may there be love, respect and peace between all people. Happy Holi to all.

Haresh Kumar Raghani
Mithi Tharparkar

Published in Dawn, March 12th, 2020