Colourful Braj

Barsana is an important historical town in the Krishna pilgrimage circuit. It is the birthplace of Radha rani and a beautiful temple dedicated to Radha _krishna is built on the Bhanugarh hills ,  visited by huge number of devotees specially on Lath maar Holi which falls today.

Krishna and men from Nandgaon used to  visit Barsana to smear colours on Radha and gopis ,in return the gopis would hit them playfully with sticks on their shielded heads. And the other day phoolo waali Holi  played in Vrindavan..
Holi is all about happiness, joy, pranks and vibrant tapestry of colours. Spring heralds with fragrant thickets, blooming trees. fliting butterflies and buzzing bees.
Legend goes that Krishna would ask Yashoda why Radha was fair as a moon beam and he stark  dark as night to which she replied jovially " go and smear colour on Radha s face to match your complexion" ,hence the trend of Holi celebration started symbolising celebration of love.


Purans mention Holi as a celebration of victory of lord Narasimha over demon Hiranyakashyap. A bonfire is lit to symbolise the triumph of good over evil, it was on this day that the demoness Holika( Hirankashyap s sister) was smouldered to ashes when Prahlad( Hirankashyap s son ) a staunch devotee of Vishnu prayed God to save him from the flames of Holika ,who in connivance with her brother had planned to kill Prahlad.
It is also said that that Holi gets its name from Dola purnima..or Doul utsav which is a swing festival in the new moon of spring dedicated to divine couple of Radha n Krishna.

Also believed that Shiva the ascetic god burnt and destroyed' Kama', the lord of love, yearning and lust and in his place came 'Shyama' more winsome than Kama, love bow replaced by bamboo flute and Rati s place taken by 
Radha. Shyama is pure love which doesn't fetter but makes one alive and free and Kama s spring festival of Madana utsav became the festival of Holi where colour and water excites and calms the senses respectively..
Whatever the stories bequeathed to us,but certainly Holi is all about divine love,colours and spring .



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