Holi Celebrations at Shri Hari Mandir
In Sanskrit it is said ‘Utsav priya khalu manava’, which means, all people love festivals because the celebrations enable people to forget their miseries and enmity and build new bridges of love and friendship. It is also said ‘Utsaho balvaan arya’ meaning enthusiasm or zest for life makes a man strong. Festivities also fill people’s hearts with new enthusiasm and zest to live. It was with such zest and enthusiasm that the festival of Holi was celebrated at Shri Hari Mandir, Porbandar.
It is mentioned in the Shrimad Bhagavat that the demon king Hiranyakashipu asked his sister Holika to kill his son Prahlad by sitting with him in a torched pyre. Holika had a boon from Bhramaji that fire could not kill her. Thus on the evening of the full moon night of the lunar month Falgun, Holika sat in the torched pyre with Prahlad on her laps. However, by virtue of God’s grace Prahlad escaped unhurt while Holika was completely burnt in the fire lit by the demons. People celebrated Prahlad’s miraculous salvation by sprinkling colours on one other. These celebrations continued the next day. Consequently, this is how the tradition of celebrations of Holi and Dhuli-vandan began.
On the eve of Holi, all the deities of Shri Hari Mandir were dressed in simple white clothes. In this dressing, the deities appeared eager to celebrate the festival of colours with their devotees.
On the day of Holi, naivedya of cornflakes, split-grams, batashas and dates were offered to the deities. Before the evening aarati, all the deities were brought out in the foreground. Amidst the joyous beats of the drums, Pujya Bhaishri and the assembled devotees worshipped the deities by sprinkling various colours on them. Thereafter, a torch was lit, the pyre of Holi set afire and the evening aarati performed.
The next morning Shri Lakshminarayan was placed in a hindola (rocking cradle) decorated with colourful flowers. Again Pujya Bhaishri worshipped the deities by sprinkling colours amidst drum beats. Thereafter, joyous celebrations commenced whereby the assembled devotees joined the invited guests, rishikumars and students of Sandipani and played Holi with Pujya Bhaishri until 1pm. The afternoon aarati was then performed at 1.30pm.
The entire host family of Shri Niranjanbhai Thakkar participated heartily in the celebrations. The manorathis for hoisting the auspicious flag (dhvaja rohan) were the families of Shri Yogendrabhai Vyas and Shrimati Pallaviben Poddar.
