A night of colour
The auspicious celebrations took place at ISKCON Temple, where spiritual discourses were conducted before the burning of the Holika and the throwing of colourful powders.
An atmosphere of mirth filled the night air, as Hindu devotees celebrated Holi last Thursday evening.
The auspicious celebrations took place at ISKCON Temple, where spiritual discourses were conducted before the burning of the Holika and the throwing of colourful powders.
One of the most popular stories behind the special event revolved around Hiranyakashipu, a king of demons, who was granted a boon by Brahma. The boon made it almost impossible to kill the king.
Due to the boon’s powers, the demon king grew arrogant and demanded people to worship him.
However, despite his quest for worship, his son Prahlada remained a devout devotee of Lord Vishnu.
Hiranyakashipu attempted to kill Prahlada several times because of this.
After several failed attempts, Hiranyakashipu ordered Prahlada to sit on a pyre on the lap of his demoness sister, Holika, who could not be burned as she had a boon which prevented fire from burning her.
Prahlada readily accepted his father’s orders, and prayed to Vishnu to keep him safe.
When the fire started, everyone watched in amazement as Holika burnt to death, while Prahlada survived unharmed. The burning of Holika is celebrated as Holi.
