A Brief History of Holi
The Festival of Colour
This week marks the arrival of Holi, India’s most colourful festival.
It signals the arrival of spring celebrates the victory of good over evil and is probably Indias most famous festival abroad. But it is also one of India’s most ancient festivals, and evidence of spring 'colour festivals' go back thousands of years.
Today, we’re tracing the origins of Holi.
A Legend of Fiery Devotion
There are many regional stories that explain why the festival is celebrated but the most popular one surrounds prince Prahlada and his tyrannical father, King Hiranyakashipu of Multan:
The story goes that King Hiranyakashipu, having been granted near-immortality by the gods, grew arrogant and demanded absolute devotion—not to the divine, but to himself.
Yet his own son, Prahlada, defied him, remaining steadfast in his worship of …
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