When: 13 March, 2017
What: Holi Celebrations
Where: Narain Niwas, Jaipur
For more information, contact us at: communications@travelplanraj.com
There’s nothing quite like Holi. With winter tucked away, this spring festival is the time when finally everyone comes out of their cocoons. Literally, you have to see it to believe it, we Indians seem to lose our collective minds, abandon our usual decorum and go a little bit wild. It is one festival where all the social taboos are put away and social boundaries are blurred colors. We smear each other’s faces with gulal, have water-fights and indulge in light-hearted teasing. The festive morning starts with people running around, splashing colors and water balloons on each other. It is a day of boisterous pranks and capers of cheeky behavior and uncontrollable laughter. At its heart, it’s a day to let your hair down in the company of family and good friends.
The original reason of celebrating Holi lies in its soul. Holi signifies burning in the Indian language and how it came to be associated with burning, the reference is found only in ancient Indian mythology. The festival’s preamble begins on the eve of Holi, when bonfires are lit on the streets to symbolize the destruction of Holika. According to the legend, there was once a demon king by the name of Hiranyakashyap. He commanded everybody in his kingdom to worship only him. But to his disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana and refused to worship his father.
Hiranyakashyap tried several ways to kill his son Prahlad but failed every time. Finally, he asked his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. For, Hiranyakashyap knew that Holika had a boon, whereby, she could enter the fire unscathed. Treacherously, Holika coaxed young Prahlad to sit in her lap and she herself took her seat in a blazing fire. The legend has it that Holika had to pay the price of her sinister desire by her life. Holika was not aware that the boon worked only when she entered the fire alone. Prahlad came out unharmed, as the lord blessed him for his extreme devotion. Thus, Holi derives its name from Holika, and is celebrated as a festival of victory of good over evil.
We’ve been bringing the true spirit of Holi to Jaipur for the past few years now. Our Holi parties are messy affairs filled with fun and attended by revellers of all ages, backgrounds and faiths. We all play together and it is an absolute riot. This year as well we’re taking the fun outdoors yet again! As the brief spring warms the landscape, cut loose for a day and dip yourself in the hues of our hospitality. Join us this Holi, undoubtedly the most boisterous among all Hindu festivals, amidst a riotous mirth in a play of colors at our pool side venue. What once was an epic myth is still an inspiration to keep hope and stand by the good. We hope to see you in this fun filled exhilarating experience and be part of an ancient myth and tradition that celebrates the triumph of ‘good’ over ‘evil’.
We’ve got delectable food, live music and – of course – tons of gulal!
*We are hosting this event for a limited number of people based on prior bookings and for invitees only.
