Last Sunday, the Hindu community celebrated the seventeenth edition of the Holi festival of Lanzarote in the Plaza de las Naciones of Puerto del Carmen. The event, also known as the festival of colors, brought together the population of India.
The president of the Hindu Community in Lanzarote, Dharmendra Bhagwandas Jethani, has stated that this type of initiative aims to reach the Indian community that resides on the island, but also to remind children "their culture of origin, festivity and tradition of origin and at the same time integration with Spain".
Hundreds of people, mostly young, gather in different cities around the world in commemoration of the love of the gods Radha and Krishna. With colored paint powders, the attendees of this festival paint each other, creating multicolored clouds. All this happens at the foot of one of the temples. The celebration lasts two days, having a strong religious importance.
Likewise, the president of the Hindu community of Lanzarote Clubdialanz has invited all residents who want to know it and approach the culture and wealth of the Asian country to the Hindu temple located in Tahiche.
According to the note issued by Clubdialanz, the City Council of Tías has collaborated with this group to accommodate this festival. "Our entire community enjoys the Festival of India without spending a lot of money or traveling to the country of origin," he said.
This event, which celebrates its 17th anniversary, began being held on Remo Street and, in the last ten years, in the Plaza de Las Naciones, located on Avenida de las Playas in Puerto del Carmen. "It is the party of love. It is an ancient Hindu religious festival that has become popular among non-Hindus in many parts of South Asia, as well as people from other communities," he stressed.
This festivity characterized by colored powders is mainly celebrated in India, Nepal and other regions of the world with significant populations of Hindus or people of Indian origin. The festival has, in recent times, been celebrated in parts of Europe and North America as a spring festival of love and colors.
What does Holi mean in Hindu culture?
As explained by the Hindu Community in Lanzarote, Holi refers to Jolika, the evil sister of King Hiranyakashipu and aunt of Prince Prahlada. When the powers that were granted to the king blinded him, believing himself to be the only deity that his people should worship, Prince Prahlada decided to continue worshiping Vishnu and angered his father.
The king decided to punish his son cruelly, but nothing changed: Prahlada was not going to worship his father. That is why his aunt decided that the only possible solution was to kill the prince and invited him to sit on a pyre with her, who was wearing a fireproof cloak that protected her from the flames. But, at that moment, the cloak changed owners and protected Prahlada, who saw his aunt die burned by the flames. The god Vishnu, the one the prince worshiped, appeared right at that moment and killed the king.
The bonfire is a reminder of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu and Jolika. Holi is celebrated the day after the bonfire. In the Braj region of India, where Krishna grew up, the festival is celebrated for 16 days (until Rangpanchmi), in commemoration of the divine love of Radha professed by Krishna, a Hindu deity. The festivities mark the official beginning of spring, and Holi is celebrated as a festival of love.
Other meanings
The Holi Festival has another cultural meaning. It is a day off to get rid of the mistakes of the past, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as well as face again with the people in their lives. Holi also marks the beginning of spring, and for many the beginning of the new year.