The Proven Antiquities of the festival Holi and Pichkari

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Holi is commonly referred to as the festival of colours. Holi is a widely celebrated festival and played in different nooks and corners of India with a lot of pomp and gaiety.Nowadays, this Indian festival has gained huge popularity all around the world . Holi is celebrated in the month of Phalgun on a full moon day during the spring season. That marks the end of cold winters and welcomes spring, thus symbolizing new beginnings.

Holi reflects the deeper themes in life- the joy of having friendships, the triumph of good over evil, the expression of positive emotions, the strength to overcome challenges, negativities, arguments, or bitterness in relationships, and to move on with positive emotions.The celebration’ Holi ‘tracks down notice in a few purana and epigraphical records and that demonstrates the significance of Holi during ancient days.

‘Narad Purana‘ and ‘Bhavishya Purana‘ are two significant puranas where one tracks down notice of Holi in ancient times. An extraordinary ruler Harshavardhan was ruling in the seventh century AD. The epigraphical literary record ‘Ratnavali ‘ of those times having a place within the Harsha realm talks about Holikaotsav.

On the eve of Holi this year , when I searched for the fact that who is having the patent right of pichkari ( or colour water sprinkler ), it was to my utter surprise , It came to my notice that it is registered in the name of a JW Wolff in 1896. In any case, the custom of playing Holi with a water gun called pichkari is somewhere around 1,100 years old . Since ancient times, Indians have utilized this device to make the celebration of HOLI( Festival of colours) more enjoyable.

Chennakeshava Temple of Belur, Karnataka that was built back in twelfth Century, has temple wall carvings that portray Madanika Devi playing Holi. There’s an engraved sculpture that can be obviously seen with pichkari( photo appended ∆).

One more old temple in Hampi, Karnataka, the Mahanavami Dibba was built by King Krishnadevaraya in 1513 AD. The temple walls have engraved sculptures of ladies playing Holi utilizing pichkari and carved tubs too ( photo appended ∆)

Huge heaps of colours being sold in front

of Lord Jagannath temple at Puri this year.

The colorful play of Holi in between Radha and Krishna

These mute sculptures on  numerous temple walls of India stand as witnesses to prove this fact that Indians were aware about PICHKARI long back than these westerners ( false claimants).

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Dr. Manoj Mishra

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