Kathmandu, March 16
Holi, the festival of colours, began with the installation of Chir, a wooden pole, in Basantapur, Kathmandu, on Wednesday.
Nepal Panchanga Nirnayak Samiti, a body of astrologers, had recommended installing the pole at 7.47 am, describing the time as auspicious.
According to some religious scriptures, Holika, the sister of demon Hiranyakashyap, was fireproof. The demon tried to use Holika to kill his son Prahlad, a disciple of Lord Vishnu. But when Holika entered a well of fire to finish off Holika, she was the one who died, while Prahlad was unscathed.
People play Holi to mark this occasion.
Applying colour on each other and splashing water on each other with consent, people celebrate this festival. Many people use this occasion to end enmity and revive familial and friendly ties.
But the spring festival, supposed to bring people together, is also earning bad repute these days with revellers throwing dirty water on people, who are not taking part in the celebrations, and hitting them with water-filled balloons.
