Holi is an Ancient, Hindu, Spring Festival of India. Holi is celebrated at the end of the winter season on the last full moon day of the lunar month Phalguna (February / March), (Phalgun Purnima), which usually falls in the later part of February or March. Apart from India, it is celebrated in Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Sri lanka and countries with large Hindu populations such as Suriname, Guyana, South Africa, Trinidad, the UK, USA, Mauritius and Fiji. The most celebrated Holi is that of the Braj region, in locations connected to the god Krishna: Mathura, Vrindavan, Nandagaon, and Barsana. The festivities of Holi last here to up to sixteen days. It is celebrated by people throwing coloured powder and coloured water at each other.
According to the Hindu Tradition of Vaishnavism, Hiranyakashipu, the king of demons was a powerful entity. His younger brother, Hiranyaksha was killed by Varaha, one of the Avatars of Vishnu and angered by this, Hiranyakashipu decided to gain magical powers by performing a penance for Lord Brahma. Finally, when Lord Brahma appeared before him he asked for a Boon, according to which he would not be killed 'During day or night; inside the home or outside, not on earth or on sky; neither by a man nor an animal; neither by astra nor by shastra". Consequently, he grew arrogant and attacked the Heavens and the Earth. He demanded that people stop worshipping gods and start praying to him.
Hiranyakashipu had a son named Prahlada, who was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu hated this and would often threaten Prahlada to desist from doing so. But Prahlada continued worshipping Lord Vishnu. Angered by his son's diobedience, Hiranyakashipu decided to kill him in a series of events. First, he poisoned him, but the poison turned to nectar in his mouth. Then, he was ordered to be trampled by elephants and yet he remained unharmed. He was put in a room with hungry, poisonous snakes and again he survived. When all of Hiranyakashipu's attempts to kill his son failed, he ordered young Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of his sister, Holika, who could not die by fire by virtue of a shawl which would prevent fire affecting the person wearing it. Prahlada readily accepted his father's orders and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe. When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as the shawl flew from Holika, who then was burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed, after the shawl moved to cover him. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi, which signifys the victory of Good over Evil.
Vrindavan and Mathura Holi - Young Lord Krishna was Dark Complexioned while Radha, one of his close associate, was Fair Complexioned. Krishna felt jealous and complained to his mother about the contrast between his Dark Complexion and Radha's Fair Complexion. Krishna's mother decided to apply colour to Radha's face so as to suffice Krishna's cause. Thereby establishing a tradition of applying colour.
Alternate Names - Dhulheti, Dhulandi, Dhulendi, Festival of Colours.