Holika Dahan 2021: A day just before the auspicious festival of Holi is the ‘Chhoti Holi’ or ‘Holika Dahan’. Holika Dahan, as nicely as Holi, mark the triumph of great more than evil, and signify appreciate and the energy of accurate devotion. Holi also marks the finish of the winter season and the starting of spring. This year, Holika Dahan is falling on Sunday, that is today. But what is the significance of Holika Dahan and why and how is it celebrated?
Holika Dahan 2021: Significance and Legend
The root of celebration of Holika Dahan is in the legend of Prahlad and Hiranyakashipu. Hiranyakashipu was a demon king, who regarded Lord Vishnu his mortal enemy as the latter had taken the Varaha avatar to kill his elder brother Hiranyaksha. Hiranyakashipu then pleased Lord Brahma to get the boon that he be killed neither by any Deva, human nor animal nor by any creature who requires birth, neither through the day nor at evening, neither by any hand-held weapon nor by any projectile weapon, and neither inside nor outdoors.
Once Lord Brahma granted these boons, the demon king began believing that he was God and commanded that his subjects only praise him. However, his personal son, Prahlad, defied these orders as he was devoted to Lord Vishnu, and this irked the king. Hiranyakashipu therefore plotted many schemes to kill his son.
One of the most preferred schemes is when Hiranyakashipu asks his sister demoness Holika to sit in a pyre with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had been offered a boon that she would not be injured in a fire. However, when she sat with Prahlad in her lap, Prahlad kept chanting the name of Lord Vishnu and in the fire, Holika was burnt down although Prahlad was saved. Some legends state that this was simply because Lord Brahma granted Holika the boon on an understanding that she would not use her boon for evil. Holika Dahan is a recreation of this tale.
Holi 2021: How is Holika Dahan celebrated?
During Holika Dahan, a evening just before the Holi, people today hold a bonfire to signify the pyre that was produced to kill Prahlad. On this fire, many toys of cow dung are kept, with cow dung figurines of Holika and Prahlad kept at the major. Then, the figurine of Prahlad is immediately removed from the fire, as a recreation of Prahlad getting saved from the fire due to his devotion to Lord Vishnu.
It marks the triumph of great more than evil, and assists people today have an understanding of the energy of accurate devotion.
In the pyre, people today also throw samagri, which consists of things that have antibiotic properties, or other cleaning properties that can hold the atmosphere wholesome.