Holi date, celebration and photos

When is Holi festival this year

Holi is on March 24 2016

Holi wishes and messages

Hope Holi brings what you want it achieve.

Thanks for being the loyal and caring friend you are. Happy Holi

Hope your Holi is filled with Thandai, Gujia, Bhangg, and especially good friends like me.

Happy Holi to one of my favorite friend

Lets extend our friends and play Holi together. I feel special because of your friendship.

Hope he spoils you. You deserve it. Happy Holi

Someday, your princess will come. Holi is wonderful day to find princess

Wish we could be together swapping water pichkaris and laughing over water ballons like we used to when we were in school.

I�ll raise an awesome Holi cocktail (Bhang) to you.

I hope you feel loved and appreciated on Holi. Because you are wonderful.

Happy Holi to all my friends, I am coming to play Holi

Holi names

Holi festival of color is also called "Dhuleti"

Holi written in various languages

Holi ( Hindi: होली, Nepali: होली, Punjabi: ਹੋਲੀ) is also known as Phakuwa or Phagwah (Assamese: ফাকুৱা), Festival of Colours, or Doḷajātra in Odisha, and as Dol Jatra (Assamese: দ’ল যাত্ৰা) or Basantotsav ("spring festival") in West Bengal and Assam. The customs and celebrations vary between regions of India.

Holika and Prehlad story

There is a symbolic legend to explain why holi is well celebrated as a colour fest.

The word "Holi" originates from "Holika", the evil sister of demon king Hiranyakashipu. King Hiranyakashipu had earned a boon that made him virtually indestructible. The special powers blinded him, he grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him. Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada, however, disagreed. He was and remained devoted to Vishnu.This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected the boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right.

Finally, Holika - Prahlada's evil aunt - tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika was wearing a cloak (shawl) that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire roared, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada.Holika burned, Prahlada survived.
Vishnu appeared and killed Hiranyakashipu. The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, of fire that burned Holika.

The day after Holika bonfire is celebrated as Holi.

Holi celebration

Best Holi in India

Orange and red

The flowers of palash or tesu tree, also called the flame of the forest, are typical source of bright red and deep orange colours. Powdered fragrant red sandal wood, dried hibiscus flowers, madder tree, radish and pomegranate are alternate sources and shades of red. Mixing lime with turmeric powder creates an alternate source of orange powder, as does boiling saffron (kesar) in water.

Green

Mehendi and dried leaves of gulmohur tree offer a source of green colour. In some areas, the leaves of spring crops and herbs have been used as source of green pigment.

Yellow

Haldi (turmeric) powder is the typical source of yellow colour. Sometimes this is mixed with chickpeas, gram or other flour to get the right shade. Bael fruit, amaltas, species of chrysanthemums, and species of marigold are alternate sources of yellow.

Blue

Indigo, Indian berries, species of grapes, blue hibiscus and jacaranda flowers are traditional sources of blue colour for Holi.

Magenta and purple

Beetroot is the traditional source of magenta and purple colour. Often these are directly boiled in water to prepare coloured water.

Brown

Dried tea leaves offer a source of brown coloured water. Certain clays are alternate source of brown.

Black

Species of grapes, fruits of amla (gooseberry) and vegetable carbon (charcoal) offer gray to black colours.