Kathmandu, March 23
Tarai, the southern plains of Nepal, is celebrating Holi, the festival of colours, with much fanfare on Wednesday, a day after the country’s hilly regions, including the national capital Kathmandu, marked the festival.
People celebrate Holi, which marks the arrival of the Spring season, by applying coloured power and splashing water on each other.
In Tarai, Holi is an important festival. The colours used on this festival have their own meanings. Blue stands for a just war, while yellow colour is dear to Lord Vishnu and his incarnation Sri Krishna. Red is Lord Ganesha’s favourite colour and it symbolises power and good fortune.
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. The festival marks the victory of good over the evil.
