Holika Dahan (), rendered Holika Dahanam in

Sanskrit Sanskrit (; attributively , ; nominally , , ) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in South Asia after its predecessor languages had diffused there from the northwest in the late ...

, is a Hindu occasion that celebrates the legend of the burning of

Holika Holika ( sa, होलिका, translit=Hōlikā), also known as Simhika, is an asuri in Hinduism. She is the sister of the asura-kings Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, and the aunt of Prahlada. The legend of ''Holika Dahan'' (Holika's bur ...

, an asuri, upon a burning pyre, and the salvation of her nephew,

Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu mythology. He is known for his staunch devotion towards the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the man-lion avatar of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by slaying his wicked fa ...

. It precedes the occasion of

Holi Holi (), also known as the Festival of Colours, the Festival of Spring, and the Festival of Love,The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...". is an ancient Hindu religious festival ...

, the festival of colours, which celebrates the victory of good over evil. In

South India South India, also known as Dakshina Bharata or Peninsular India, consists of the peninsular southern part of India. It encompasses the Indian states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Telangana, as well as the union territo ...

, this occasion is called Kama Dahanam, and is associated with the legend of

Shiva Shiva (; sa, शिव, lit=The Auspicious One, Śiva ), also known as Mahadeva (; ɐɦaːd̪eːʋɐ, or Hara, is one of the principal deities of Hinduism. He is the Supreme Being in Shaivism, one of the major traditions within Hindu ...

burning

Kamadeva Kama ( sa, काम, ), also known as Kamadeva and Manmatha, is the Hindu god of love and desire, often portrayed alongside his consort, Rati. The Atharvaveda, Atharva Veda regards Kamadeva as the wielder of the creative power of the universe ...

with this third eye to ashes. Pantomimes of Kamadeva are performed on this occasion in rural

Tamil Nadu Tamil Nadu (; , TN) is a States and union territories of India, state in southern India. It is the List of states and union territories of India by area, tenth largest Indian state by area and the List of states and union territories of India ...

, and his effigies are burnt.

Significance

Days before the festival of Holi, people start gathering wood and combustible materials for the bonfire in parks, community centers, near temples, and other open spaces. Inside homes, people stock up on color pigments, food, party drinks and festive seasonal foods such as ''

gujiya Gunjiya, Gughara, Pedakiya, karanji, Kajjikayalu,Somas,Karjikayi is a sweet deep-fried dumpling, native to the Indian subcontinent, made with suji (semolina) or maida (all purpose flour) stuffed with a mixture of sweetened khoa (milk solids; ...

'', ''

mathri ''Mathri'' ( raj, मठरी, hi, मठी, ''Mathi'') is a Rajasthani snack. It is a kind of flaky biscuit from north-west region of India. Once a local delicacy, ''mathi'' or ''mathri'' as its often called, is now available in almost all s ...

'', ''

malpua Malpua, or sometimes shortened to pua, is an Indian sweet served as a dessert or a snack originating from the Indian subcontinent, popular in India, Nepal and Bangladesh. History Barley was the most prolific grain eaten by the ''arya'' of the ...

s,'' and other regional delicacies. Holika Dahan, Kathamandu, Nepal

The night before Holi, pyres are burnt in

North India North India is a loosely defined region consisting of the northern part of India. The dominant geographical features of North India are the Indo-Gangetic Plain and the Himalayas, which demarcate the region from the Tibetan Plateau and Central ...

Nepal Nepal (; ne, नेपाल ), formerly the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal ( ne, सङ्घीय लोकतान्त्रिक गणतन्त्र नेपाल ), is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mai ...

, and parts of

in keeping with this tradition. In some parts of

the day is called Holika Dahan. while in other parts like

Purvanchal Purvanchal () is a subregion of the Bhojpuri region of India which comprises eastern Uttar Pradesh. Purvanchal region gained independence from the Avadh and Mughal rule under Zamindar Balwant Singh, a Bhumihar zamindar from Benaras State. I ...

(eastern

Uttar Pradesh Uttar Pradesh (; , 'Northern Province') is a state in northern India. With over 200 million inhabitants, it is the most populated state in India as well as the most populous country subdivision in the world. It was established in 1950 ...

and western

Bihar Bihar (; ) is a state in eastern India. It is the 2nd largest state by population in 2019, 12th largest by area of , and 14th largest by GDP in 2021. Bihar borders Uttar Pradesh to its west, Nepal to the north, the northern part of West Be ...

) as well as

Terai The Terai or Tarai is a lowland region in northern India and southern Nepal that lies south of the outer foothills of the Himalayas, the Sivalik Hills, and north of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. This lowland belt is characterised by tall grasslands, scr ...

regions of

it is called Sammat Jaarna. Bonfires are burnt on the eve of Holi to symbolise the burning of Holika.

References

{{HinduFestivals Hindu festivals Articles containing video clips Hindu festivals in India Religious festivals in India Traditions involving fire