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A Multihued Festival - The Festival of Colors
"Dola Purnima" or Holi (Festival of Colors) is a popular
festival in the coastal districts of Orissa. It is the full-moon day in
the month of Falguna. Through the festival the spring is welcomed and
enjoyed with mirth and merriment. This festival has been referred to in
the puranical texts as "Basantotsaba" or the spring-festival.
Some
scriptures testify that the "Madanotsaba", the festival held in
honour of 'Madana' or the Cupid was later transformed as the "Dolatsaba"
or swing-festival of Krishna. Therefore, Krishna is propitiated on this
occasion as "Madanamohana". Description of the festival as
Dolatsaba finds mention in a number of 'Puranas' and other Sanskrit texts.
The 'Padma Purana' says, "One is expiated of all sins, who gets a
vision of Krishna swaying in the swing."
Time For The Festivity - Holi in Orissa
Though the festival of Holi is observed for a day with mirth and
merriment all over the country, the festival is celebrated for five days
in Orissa. It starts from the tenth day of the bright fortnight of the
month of Falguna known as "Fagu Dasami". Smearing the heads with
'Abira' (a violet coloured powder) the people take round the idols of
Madanamohana in richly decorated palanquins known as "Veemana".
The Procession
The procession is led by village drummers, pipers and the 'Sankirtana
Mandalis'. The procession halts in front of each household and the deity
is offered 'Bhog'. The daily rounds of the deity for the four days are
called "Chachery". On the final day of the Purnima the
celebration culminates in a swing-festival for the deities. The idols
carried in Veemanas from a number of villages assemble in an important
place where swings are fixed on a platform. They are made to swing to the
accompaniment of devotional music sung in chorus.
In olden days the beginning of the New Year was calculated from the
spring-season. After the swinging festival of the deities, the 'Ganaka' or
'Jyothisha' (astronomer-cum-fortune teller) reads out the new Oriya
almanac and narrates the important events that are to take place during
the year. For this reason, some are of opinion that this festival is
purely to celebrate the New Year.
The Legend of the Holi
On the fourteenth day of the fortnight there is a function in which a
straw-hut is set to fire amidst much amusement and excitement. This is
known as "Holipoda" (burning of Holi). The legend about it is
that, 'Holika' was the most beautiful sister of 'Hiranyakashyapu', the
demon-king. As an ardent devotee of Shiva she got the boon that she would
never die of drowning or burning.
Inspite of all heinous attempts Hiranyakashyapu couldn't kill his son
'Prahlada', the devotee of Vishnu Then he planned to burn him to ashes. As
Holika would never get burnt she was asked to walk into the blazing fire
with the child in her arms. Surprisingly the child came out unhurt but
Holika was burnt to death. Enraged at this Hiranya asked Shiva about the
inefficacy of His boon. Then Shiva replied, "I granted her the boon
to protect herself, not to kill anybody."
As a reminiscent to this, the Holipoda is celebrated and the next day is
the festival of colors 'Holi', in which people smear colour powders on
each other's face and head and squirt coloured waters. There is much fun
and merriment in the festival.
Mendhapodi
In some places the burning of the straw hut is known as "Mendhapodi"
or the burning of a ram. A legend attached to it says that a demon known
as 'Mesha' was causing terror in the Heaven and Earth, Gods as well as
human beings prayed Krishna to rescue them from his atrocities. Krishna
killed and burnt him to ashes. It is, therefore to reminiscent this event
that a hut is burnt which represents the abode of the demon.
Holi Fairs
In many places of the State big fairs are arranged where idols of the
deity are assembled. These fairs are called "Melana". The
Veemanas of the surrounding villages are placed in a row for public view.
Keen competition is observed in the decoration of the Veemanas. When all
the expected Veemanas reach the place, display of fire-works takes place
and this is watched by thousands of enthusiastic crowd.
In the fairs agricultural implements, commodities, household articles and
furniture are bought and sold. Such Melanas or fairs continue till the
month of Chaitra in different places of the district of
Cuttack,
Puri and Ganjam.