Holika Dahan

School Updates

Holika Dahan

The festival of Holi, celebrated with exuberance and colors, begins with Holika Dahan, a symbolic ritual marking the victory of good over evil. Hiranyakashipu's sister, Holika had a boon granting her immunity to fire. She attempted to trick Prahlad into a pyre, but divine intervention led to her demise while Prahlad emerged unscathed. This event symbolizes the victory of good over evil. Everyone is aware about Holika and Prahlad's story, but here comes the scientific reason: "Holi actually marks the end of Spring and beginning of Summer." The crops, trees, in general the atmosphere heats up throwing out various types of bacterias and viruses. These germs get killed due to the bonfires across cities. People use cow dung and ghee in bonfire, the smoke of which helps in eliminating these bacteria and pollutants from the environment. Holika Dahan, on the other hand, is performed to burn all that is dry and dirty to pave the way for new life in the spring. Following the tradition Abhyasa students perform Parikrama (go around the bonfire/pyre), the heat coming from the bonfire kills the bacteria in the body and cleanses it.