What is the folklore behind the celebration of Holi, and what it teaches all of us. This has been weaved into a beautiful poem by Advay. Let's enjoy this poem and awaken the good within us. Happy Holi!
The Story of Holi
We lit a bonfire, play with colours.
We tend to forget who're ours & others.
Gujhiyas & Malpuas steal the spotlight.
The New Year begins after a fortnight.
Yes, Holi's the name of this festival.
With all the clues, it's way too guessable.
But why's it celebrated & why this name?
In this poem, let's understand the same.
Hiranyakashyapu was Lord Vishnu's enemy.
While his son Prahlad, was Vishnu's devotee.
The father's a demon, the son's a follower.
This clash led to rage & anger all over.
The devil once became hot under the collar.
To burn Prahlad, was his unjust & cruel order.
Hiranyakashyapu's sister Holika stepped ahead.
With the boon, even in the fire, she didn't become dead.
Everything happened according to the ogre's desire.
Prahlad was in Holika's lap, & Holika in the fire.
Prahlad continuously chanted the name of the almighty.
Hardly anxious, because of his belief in the deity.
To everyone's surprise, Holika went on flames.
Whilst Prahlad was all right, he himself claims.
The monster could not digest this fact.
He now couldn't see his son fully intact.
And ahead he stepped, to kill his kid.
With his enemy's votary, he wanted to get rid.
Prahlad didn't stop chanting the word ‘Hari’.
Aware of the fact that the decision was arbitrary.
The sword was lifted, and the situation became tense.
God himself had to step in, to stop this barbarism immense.
Killing the ‘asur’ required a situation bizarre.
Thus, Lord Vishnu appeared in Narsimha Avatar.
Hiranyakashyapu was killed, and Prahlad survived.
The evil had declined, and the good had thrived.
To do the same inside ourselves, Holi is celebrated.
In Hinduism, this occasion is eagerly awaited.