Suzanne Marie Washburn: Holi Festival of Colors

Every spring thousands of people make their way to the Hindu Temple in Spanish Fork to celebrate the festival of colors. Let me tell you...it is just one big party! They have performances of dancing and music, along with food and of course, the throwing of the colors. At the festival the colors aren't thrown until the bonfire is lit, and then within 2 seconds the air is so full of powder that you can't breath. I love it!! This year they told us the reason for the burning of the witch (so I thought it was) at the festival.

The Legend of Holika and Prahlad
There was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap who won over the kingdom of earth. He was so egoistic that he commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.

Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but Lord Vishnu saved him every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon, whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed.

Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone.
Prahlad, who kept chanting the name of Lord Naarayana all this while, came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion.
Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika. And, is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.

Holi is also celebrated as the triumph of a devotee. As the legend depicts that anybody, howsoever strong, cannot harm a true devotee. And, those who dare torture a true devotee of god shall be reduced to ashes.

Celebration of the Legend
Even today, people enact the scene of 'Holika's burning to ashes' every year to mark the victory of good over evil.

Since there are always so many people at the festival, Noel and I prepared for it this year in a few new ways.
1) We went up to the Krishna Temple the day before to buy the color, and that way avoided the hour long wait at the festival.

Noel somehow managed to lose her soda in the car on the way up...not sure how that happens

2) Noel lined my car with plastic, so it stayed nice and clean after we were done at the festival.

While we were trying to find a spot to park, some people were putting Easter eggs on the cars they passed. So naturally, Noel got out and stole some of those eggs. We thought it might have some candy in it...but it didn't.