Time of the year : March-Date Varies Year to Year
Places to visit : All over India
Duration : One-Two Days, Varies Regionally

Holi is probably the second most celebrated Indian Hindu holiday. It is a time of great joy and color. It is known as the most lively Indian holidays, in short, it is the Mardi Gras of India, minus the nudity of course! It is observed all over India, especially in the North. It marks the harvesting of winter crop (Rabi) when wheat corns get ripened and turn golden brown. It heralds the end of winter and the beginning of spring. For many westerners and/or Christians, Holi even shares some characteristics of Easter. Not only does it come close together (usually a day apart) but Easter is considered a time of colorful spring celebrations as well. However, that is where the similarities end. In fact, while it is celebrated in a similar fashion all over India, there are so many different legends and stories associated with it regionally that you are bound to get different stories about Holi in just about every region. 

 CELEBRATIONS

People celebrate this festival of colors joyously with friends and relatives. People come out wearing pure white clothes and gather together in a common place where they "play Holi". People throw colored water with pichkaari (a traditional device to spray colored water from a distance keeping oneself safe), gubbare (balloons filled with water to throw on others from a distance) and gulal (colored powder) at each other and make merry. Singing and dancing add to the gaiety of the occasion. Playing Holi  begins early in the morning and continues through the day.  

 RITUALS

Usually the night before Holi, a huge bonfire is built. It is said to cleanse the air.Traditional delicacies are prepared in advance and served while playing Holi. Families, friends, and neighbors get together to enjoy this festival of colors. 

Farmers celebrate Holi by offering their first crop to the Fire God Agni.

The drinking of bhang is also a common practice, though if there is any religious reasons behind it, they are now obscure. Bhang is an interesting concoction of grass of the opium plant mashed and mixed with milk or sweets. Some families also give their children these drinks but most reserve these for the adults and exercise caution.

 LEGENDS

As stated earlier, the stories behind Holi vary greatly from region to region. Most of North India holds two legends to be the most popular. They first coming from the story of Hirankashyap the demon king of the Asuras. He forced his people to worship him. However, his son, Prahlad, was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hirankashyap was angered by his son and decided to punish him using his sister, Holika. Holika had been given protection from fire by the gods, so she was instructed to sit on a burning pyre with Prahlad in her lap. In the end, Prahlad emerged unharmed while his aunt died. Many North Indians believe that Holi is a victory of good over evil as indicated by this story.

The second most popular legend in the North comes from the life of Krishna. According to legend, the cruel king Kamsa had sent the demoness Putana to kill Krishna. However, Krishna, even though a child, outsmarted her. Therefore, Holi signifies the victory of Lord Krishna over the evil forces. From that day, on the eve of Holi, people light a bonfire celebrating the victory of Lord Krishna. 

In addition to these popular legends there is also an association with the god of love, Kamdev. According to legend, Parvati tried hard to attract Shiva to her. However, after some time, Parvati became desolate. At this point, Kamadev decided to help her. But as he shot his floral arrow of love, Shiva opened his third eye of destruction and burnt Kama. Then things get a bit sticky. Some parts of India believe that later Parvati brought Kama back to life and the day Kama breathed again is celebrated as Holi. (rather an interesting similarity to Easter?) Others believe that the grief-stricken wife of Kamdev, Rati begged for restoration of her husband. Lord Shiva granted her wish.