Colorful Holi Festival in India Title

“Holi Hai! Happy Holi!” Should you hear this call, you know it’s about to become colourful! The calls mean it’s time for Holi festival, the most colourful spring celebration on earth. Want to help someone start into spring? Send money to India - it's easy and secure with sendvalu money transfer.

Cheerful, multicoloured springtime – Holi festival

Originally, Holi was a harvest and fertility festival that also celebrated the victory of good over evil. On this day, old quarrels are ended, social divides overcome and relationships renewed.

Holi takes place annually, on the last full moon day of Hindu month of Phalguna, around the end of February and beginning of March.The formerly very religious festival is among India’s oldest and most popular festivities and certainly the most vibrant of the year. Colourful powder is thrown through the air and turns streets, houses and people red, yellow, green and blue.

Everyone is equal during Holi

During the Holi festivities everyone, including friends and family, meets at home or in the streets, where they hurl colourful powders or tinted water at each other and into the air. Everything becomes pink, yellow, blue and many other shades in a matter of minutes. People’s hair, faces, and clothes glow in a multitude of hues. Thus covered from head to toe in pigment, it’s hard to distinguish who’s who anymore.

Camouflaged in colours, caste, status, age or gender become practically indistinguishable and unimportant. People hug each other and wish each other “Happy Holi.” As is the custom for many Indian festivals, much candy and great food is involved. People give each other pastries and presents and enjoy sweets with abandon. Treat your family to a special gift by sending them money through sendvalu – it’s easy and safe!

Celebrations in all corners of India

Holi is celebrated slightly differently, depending on what Indian city you are at. The most colourful festivities take place in northern India, in Rajasthan or Utar Pradesh. However, big cities, such as New Delhi, also organize exuberant celebrations on this day.

The streets are full of people throwing the pigmented powder at everyone, no matter whether they’re friends, family, or passersby. A bit of cash to go towards the fun is easily sent via sendvalu, which offers fast and secure money transfer to India.

Holi isn’t a one day event – the festival goes on for up to ten days in some regions of the subcontinent, which can drain the family funds quickly. If you’d like to support relatives or friends financially during this jovial time, you can easily and safely send some cash to India via sendvalu.

The meaning of the Holi Festival

The name Holi is said to be derived from the female demon “Holika.” According to traditional stories, the fest began as a result of a religious disagreement. Vishnu, one of the most important deities of Hinduism, won the argument against the demon Holika, who went up in flames as a result.

This exciting story is reenacted by many during the Holi festivities. On the evening before the celebrations people gather to burn a Holika figure made of straw of wood. Additionally they put coconuts into the fire, symbolizing bad deeds in Hinduism. These coconuts are eaten later on, as the fire is said to relinquish all evil ghosts and free humans of their sins.

Can’t get home for Holi? Why not send friends and family a spring greeting? Sending money is easy and secure with sendvalu.

Many legends surround Holi

Many myths and stories surround the beginning of Holi, which vary from place to place. The villages around Mathura, for example, celebrate the love between deities Krishna and Radha, believing that Krishna grew up in this area. This, of course, is cause for a prolonged celebration and people celebrate for 16 days around here!

Another story tells the tale of a giantess, who could only be fought through the tricks and pranks of small boys and was ultimately defeated this way.

We might never know which of the stories marks the real beginning of Holi, but we do know that wherever you go you’ll find singing, dancing and performances. These songs tell the tales of the deeds of gods and goddesses and give the festivities a mystical air.

Celebrating Holi properly can get expensive and many people need financial support. Send money to India with sendvalu - it makes it easy to make somebody’s day with a small gift of cash.

One festival, many names

The many myths around Holi are also representative of the many names this colourful celebration is known by. In Goa, for example, people call it “Shigmo” and organize a grand parade to celebrate it. People in Haryana call their version of the holiday “Dulandi Holi”.

One day after the official Holi festival, Sikhs celebrate their own “Hola Mohalla” in Punjab. Their festivities include a solemn ceremonial procession through the city.

People in Tamil Nadu celebrate Holi under a multitude of names. It can be known as “Kamavilas”, “Kaman Pandigai” or “Kama-Dahanam,” in honor of the legend of Kama Deva.

It doesn’t matter what people call the festival, all stories center around the victory over evil, just as spring triumphs over winter every year.