Phagwa is not a Hindu carnival

THE colourful Hindu festival Phagwa, or Holi, is not just a celebration but it is a holy and religious festival and should be treated as such.
Marking the beginning the spring in India, the festival was brought here by the East Indian indentured labourers and will be celebrated tomorrow.
Pundit Mukesh Maharaj who officiates at the Shri Radha Krishna Dhaam in St Croix Road, Princes Town, said fasting for Phagwa usually begins approximately two weeks before the actual celebration day.
He said persons were expected to abstain from meat and alcohol during the fasting period, but some do not.
“Holi is not only a festival. It is a holy festival. It is a religious festival and there is supposed to be a religious observance. That is why they abstain from all forms of alcohol and all these sorts of things that are prohibited. Unfortunately people indulge in it but Holi is a religious festival and it is not a Hindu carnival as some people will put it. The festival itself is of a religious nature and you must observe the rites to fasting and the prohibition.”
During the period of fasting, puja or prayers are performed, devotees learn chowtals and folk songs and participate in competitions. One of the major highlights of this period, apart from the spraying of coloured water on each other, is the lighting of a bonfire.
Maharaj said according to Hindu scriptures the celebration came about after a young child called Prahalad was saved from a fire because of his faith in Lord Vishnu who is the Preserver of Life.
His father was the evil King Hiranyakashipu who wanted to destroy his own son because of his devotion to the god. he asked Prahalad’s evil sister Holika to take him into the fire to burn him. Holika was told by the gods that as long as she wears a red shawl she cannot be destroyed by fire. But while taking him into the fire, the gods were upset with her and they caused a strong breeze to blow and Holika’s shawl was taken away from her by the wind. Instead of Prahalad she was burnt.
Maharaj said the bonfire was symbolic to the burning of negative qualities in humans.
“You burn away the qualities that we are not supposed to have, like the hate and the malice and the jealousy and all these sorts of things. The bonfire shows that we must try to burn away these qualities to allow the purity that Prahalad offers to emerge.”
He said even though his father the king was filled with pride, anger and lust, his son stood for truth and righteousness.
Phagwa is about “destroying the evils that we may have within ourselves and to allow the truth to flow in our hearts, the love to flow, the unity to flow.”
The name means the awakening of life, Maharaj said, and that is why a lot of bright colours are used in the celebration.
“It is a celebration of life because winter is like of dead nature; everything sleeps but in spring season everything comes alive,” he said.
He said the bright colours represented the many colours seen during springtime.
Abeer is a coloured powder that celebrants throw on each other during the festivities. It can also be mixed in cold water and sprayed. And it comes in a crystal form that is dissolved in hot water.
Maharaj said no special foods were usually prepared but mostly Indian delicacies were given out, especially jalebi.
All foods had to be vegetarian.
He said no major prayers were performed on the day but whenever the participants travelled to various recreation grounds, they would pray for a safe journey and a safe return.
Maharaj said this year, he was hoping for a wonderful celebration with good weather.