Everything about Holi in Uttar Pradesh you need to know about. good music , pics and everything else.

1. Holi is a Hindu spring festival celebrated in
the Indian subcontinent, also known as the
"festival of colours" or the "festival of love". The
festival signifies the victory of good over evil, the
arrival of spring, end of winter, and for many a
festive day to meet others, play and laugh, forget
and forgive, and repair broken relationships.

2. Legend of Holi
Hiranyakashyapa subjected Prahlada to cruel
punishments, none of which affected the boy or
his resolve to do what he thought was right.
Finally, Holika, Prahlada's evil aunt, tricked him
into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika was wearing
a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire,
while Prahlada was not. As the fire roared, the
cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who
survived while Holika burned.

3. History of Holi
Holi is an ancient Hindu festival with its cultural
rituals. It is mentioned in the Puranas, Dasakumara
Charita, and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th
century reign of Chandragupta II. The celebration of
Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit
drama Ratnavali. The festival of Holi caught the
fascination of European traders and British colonial
staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of
Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with
varying, phonetically derived
spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Ho
hlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions
published after 1910.

4. Purposes of
Holi
• The festival has many purposes; most prominently,
it celebrates the beginning of Spring. In 17th
century literature, it was identified as a festival that
celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring
harvests and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a
time of enjoying spring's abundant colours and
saying farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi
festivities mark the beginning of the new year as
well as an occasion to reset and renew ruptured
relationships, end conflicts and rid themselves of
accumulated emotional impurities from the past

5. Why do they throw colours during
holi
The coloured powder - or gulal - thrown during the
festival come from the legend of Krishna, whose
skin was dark blue. Worried he wouldn't be
accepted by his love Radha, he
mischievously coloured her face to make her like
himself.
Today, anyone at Holi is fair game to be covered in
the perfumed powder as a celebration of Krishna
and Radha's love, regardless of age or social
status. The powder also signifies the coming of
spring and all the new colours it brings to nature.

6. Sources of colour
The spring season, during which the weather
changes, is believed to cause viral fever and
cold. The playful throwing of natural coloured
powders, called gulal has a medicinal
significance: the colours are traditionally made
of Neem, Kumkum, Haldi, Bilva, and other
medicinal herbs prescribed
by Āyurvedic doctors.
Many colours are obtained by mixing primary
colours. Artisans produce and sell many of the
colours from natural sources in dry powder
form, in weeks and months preceding Holi.

7. Holi celebrations in Uttar Pradesh
Barsana, a town near Mathura in the Braj region of Uttar
Pradesh, celebrates Lath mar Holi in the sprawling compound
of the Radha Rani temple. Thousands gather to witness the
Lath Mar Holi when women beat up men with sticks as those
on the sidelines become hysterical, sing Holi songs and shout
"Sri Radhey" or "Sri Krishna". The Holi songs of Braj mandal are
sung in pure Braj, the local language. Holi celebrated
at Barsana is unique in the sense that here women chase men
away with sticks. Males also sing provocative songs in a bid to
invite the attention of women. Women then go on the offensive
and use long staves called lathis to beat the men, who protect
themselves with shields

8. Holi in Uttar Pradesh
A traditional celebration includes Matki Phod, similar to Dahi
Handi in Maharashtra and Gujarat during Krishna
Janmashtami, both in the memory of god Krishna who is also
called makhan chor(literally, butter thief). This is a historic
tradition of the Braj region as well as the western region of
India. An earthen pot filled with butter or other milk products
is hung high by a rope. Groups of boys and men climb on each
other's shoulder to form pyramids to reach and break it, while
girls and women sing songs and throw coloured water on the
pyramid to distract them and make their job harder. This
ritual sport continues in Hindu diaspora communities

9. Holi in Uttar Pradesh
In the Kanpur area, Holi lasts seven days with colour. On
the last day, a grand fair called Ganga Mela or the Holi
Mela is celebrated. This Mela (fair) was started by
freedom fighters who fought British rule in the First
Indian War of Independence in 1857 under the
leadership of Nana Saheb. The Mela is held at
various ghats along the banks of the River Ganga in
Kanpur, to celebrate the Hindus and Muslims who
together resisted the British forces in the city in 1857.
On the eve of Ganga Mela, all government offices,
shops, and courts generally remain closed. The Ganga
Mela marks the official end of "The Festival of Colours"
or Holi in Kanpur.

10. Holi celebration In Uttar Pradesh
In Gorakhpur, the northeast district of Uttar
Pradesh, the day Holi starts with a special puja. This
day, called "Holi Milan", is considered to be the
most colourful day of the year, promoting
brotherhood among the people. People visit every
house and sing Holi songs and express their
gratitude by applying coloured powder (Abeer). It is
also considered the beginning of the year, as it
occurs on the first day of the Hindu calendar year
(Panchang).

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