Holi Celebration and Color as Communication

¶ … Holi, Colors speak and people Play! Indian culture is enriched with traditions, religious ceremonies and festive celebrations. The paper is about historical and religious significance of Holi, a spring celebration which is also referred to as the 'celebration of colors'. However, the event dates back to ancient Hindu religious celebrations. In South Asia, Holi has also gained popularity among non-Hindus. It is majorly celebrated in India, Nepal and other parts of the world wherever Hindu communities reside.

The event starts a night before Holi with Holika, which is the bonfire where people gather in masses to dance and sing around the fire. The very next morning Holi is celebrated by playing with colors, singing and dancing. However, there are few symbolic elements prominently observed in Holi carnival.

Every single person adorns in complete white, has water gun fight, plays with colors in the shape of dry powder and drinks "Bhang." The drink is prepared by mixing flower buds and leaves of cannabis plant and few other ingredients and is famously used as an intoxicant. The practice has been observed since ancient Hindu Holy traditions. It is commonly acknowledged as standard practice. The research paper will examine the overt and nuanced usage of color in the Holi Festival.

Holi is a festival celebrated in spring all throughout India, which originates in Hindu mythology. While there are various myths which seek to explain the exact origins of the festival, the most popular one involves Krishna and Radha. According to Hindu mythology, the darker-skinned Krishna was extremely envious of the lighter skinned Radha and complained so much that his mother doused him in colors (Wangu 121). The research paper will attempt to determine how exactly color functions on a religious, cultural, symbolic and primal level within the Holi festival.

The Holi festival is one of the most long-standing traditions within India and is beloved to many. The paper will attempt to examine what the exact elements of this festival are, which touch upon such a primal and fundamental needs and desires of human beings. This festival is not just glorified in India, but is mimicked joyfully in a range of western countries, a tendency, which gives support to the notion that it is not just an Indian cultural festival, but an act, which expresses a basic need of humanity.

The event welcomes everyone belonging to different classes and bringing them together. People from different age groups children, elders, men and women, rich and poor religiously celebrate the event. The carnival usually takes place in open streets and in large groups where color people play with colors and water guns. People come out on streets, temples and carry drums and other musical instruments to create a festive vibe, sing, and dance and go from place to place.

People visit their family members, relatives and friends to play with color and celebrate the event together. People meet their foes as well as the event signifies defeat of evil and victory of goodness. Holi has astronomical significance as it is celebrated when Phalguna Pumina (full moon night) is observed at the loom of vernal equinox.

The date of the event is not fixed and varies every year depending on the calendar of Hindus but usually observed in the month of March and sometimes February according to the calendar of Georgian. The event typically denotes triumph of good and defeat of evil, commencement of spring season and end of winter season. The event also plays a significant role in bringing together friends and foes so they can forgive each other. Areas of Study The research paper will study Holi in the context of symbolism of colors.

The religious and historical aspect of Holi as an ancient color celebration will also be studied in this paper. The main areas of concern are Historical and religious significance of Holi, Symbolism of colors and other elements observed in Holi, Comparison of Holi to Color run and Significance of Colors. Each of the above dynamics of this research will be studied in detail relating to color and its significance in the literature review section and data analysis.

Figure 1 www.holism2013.blogspot.com Assumptions and Delimitations The paper will conversely encounter number of factors that delimits the study. The first and foremost limitation to the study is time constraint that does not make it possible to incorporate all possible variables that make a contribution to religious and historical significance of Holi. The second limitation incurred is generalization of the results with respect to the entire population (Albers 52).

The behaviors and reactions can vary from person to person, hence, it can be stated that human behavior cannot be objectively studied. Therefore, these are mere patterns of human behavior that can change from time to time, from person to person. There are certain assumed notions that have helped build general views on the topic. However, the assumptions are that the outcome and results of the study will be sufficient enough to generalize the entire population.

Literature Review Holi is not restrained to any one particular region only but in the overtly global world the carnival has become a fun event organized by different communities on different lands. The Indian committee of students at Drexel organized Holi celebration for thirty students where people splashed colors at each other. The event was marked a huge success as the number of participants grew by many fold, from 30 to 90 people.

However, when people from other communities joined in curiosity, the celebration forced them to know the significance behind this color celebration. At that moment, they were told that it is a ritual which brings people of Hindu community together and all differences are left behind, be it social status, animosity, sectarian and etc. The concept of common celebration amongst rich and poor and of all social classes and age attracted many students belonging to entirely different culture, ethnicity and background.

The picture below represents the Holi celebration at its brim and the excitement of people. Figure 2 www. drexelpublishing.org However, the exchange students from foreign states that resided in India also take part in Holi celebration and enjoy the event marked with colors and happiness. The picture below is representation of two cultures coming in contact and embracing each other's traditions with utter respect.

Two exchange students who spent a year in India celebrated Holi at a friend's house and acknowledged the significance of the event and promised to take back in United States and cherish this experience. Figure 3 www.drexelpublishing.org Human rights are comprehended as unchallengeable basic rights that are intrinsically entitled to every individual. However, much can be debated on the cultural relativity of the subject (Goethe 18). Many scholars have a different approach on the subject matter.

Hence, many anthropologists consider human rights to have achieved significance on a global level, yet it is culturally varied. One cultural right can be wrong for the other; therefore, human rights cannot be objectified keeping in mind varied cultures and their traditions (Itten 70). However, these varied cultures may allow few traditions as socially acceptable that may be a matter of child abuse in other cultures, for instance male circumcision and female genital mutilation. Another example would be the perception of black teeth as a sign of beauty in some cultures.

It must be borne in mind that culture is purely a man-made phenomenon that allows certain norms to be culturally and socially acceptable and is believed a natural phenomenon. Therefore, norms and traditions may vary from culture to culture. (Kandinsky 87). However, many scholars have questioned whether or not the belief that what one culture might hold as vesture might be a condemnable in other culture, does not mark any moral standards.

How can human rights be classified in terms of good and bad, they have to be good for everyone; equal educational opportunities cannot go wrong in any country except in countries that are rigid in such beliefs. Cultures close to religions have more solid beliefs in certain norms. Hence, anthropologists argue that one's right is other's right as well. The present scenario has left many anthropologists uncertain about the validity of any such claims. Rosen studied Krutch's concept of equating two theories; moral anarchy and relativism.

To comprehend other cultures is crucial than deferment of conclusion for such theories. Anthropologists agree on social grounds that it is not just a culture that an individual learns and acquires with time but it is a specific culture. The aptitude to posses a culture fails to qualify the notion that it is visible in some particular structure.

However, it is doubtful to argue that parallel features incorporated with other rudiments in a culture will almost certainly differ; the common notion that even the universally acclaimed standards have the same folding in every part of the world falls flat on the surface of reality. Hence, boundaries, economics, society and religion are all very important features to lay foundation to the accomplishment of similar recognition to universal standards (Kelly 88).

Hence, on moral grounds it is a question to be asked from oneself that how much we have accepted equal rights for members belonging to minority group. Given that their cultures differ, so does their background yet we all come together in metropolitan cities and embrace that we are a society with factions and fragments of sub-cultures.

Is the concept of embracing minority group members belonging to one culture on a holistic ground acceptable to many of us? Scholars implicitly raise insightful questions that may have been there in the back of our minds. When the same people coming from diverse cultures commit any kind of social evil or crime, we hold their cultures responsible and generalize all the members.

The question at hand still remains unaddressed which is whether or not universality of human rights is indissoluble with the concept of power and culture, where the latter is effective when the former is practiced. Hence, human rights will always be acknowledged on all levels and grounds concerning cultures and moral values. It must be borne in mind that the global concept cannot be replaced by the local concepts and it never will.

But the issue will be raised on international platform whenever any such heinous crime of taking away human rights from powerless individuals of a community is being addressed by social media (Kelly 55). Religious and Historical Significance There are many legends attributed to Holi carnival in Hinduism namely The Legend of Holika and Prahlad, Legend of Kaamadeva, The Legend of Dhundhi and The Legend of Radha-Krishna. All of the above religious tales amplify the significance of Holi. Each legend will be discussed individually (Holi Festival, N.d.).

Significance of Holi and Colors The most joyous part of Holi celebrations is in fact the colors. The festival is given life and vibrancy by the use of colors, and that is what makes this event one of the most enjoyed ones in the Hindu religion and tradition. No one can deny the fact that the sight of Holi is very pleasing to the eye. Clouds of colors in the air make the entire atmosphere so beautiful that people cannot help but take part in the colorful celebrations.

Since the festival is celebrated in the spring season, even nature decides to play with colors through the growth of colorful flowers that coincide with cheerful mood of Hindus (Della and Brian 49). Full of energy, people move out into the streets playing dholaks and singing songs at the top of their lungs, with their white clothes drenched in colors. With Great Spirit of Holi, these people throw abeer and gulal in the air as well as in the feet of their elders.

This act symbolizes their respect for their elders, and makes the festival utterly memorable and delightful for everyone. It is indeed very interesting to note that the legend that gave rise to this tradition of playing with colors was also very colorful. The tradition of Holi is traced back to the Indian God, Lord Krishna, who was envious of his soul mate Radha, for she had a very fair complexion. On the other hand, Krishna was dark skinned.

Krishna was a naughty boy, and so he went to his mother Yashoda to complain about this dilemma, which he thought was injustice on the part of nature. In order to console his son, Yashoda asked Krishna to splatter color all over Radha's face so as to hide her fair complexion by his favorite color. As Krishna was mischievous and playful by nature, he decided to implement the idea.

The aforementioned event marked the start of the tradition that gained so much popularity that it is celebrated as a full-fledge ritual and festival in Hindu religion, as well as in many other parts of Southern Asia. Even today, all lovers desire to color their soul mates and get colored by them. Therefore, color is a great symbol of love in the festival of Holi. The application of love on the face of the lover has become a legit expression of love during this festival.

The different colors that are used in Holi signify different meanings. The 'Red' color signifies purity. Usually this is the first color that is used to apply on the faces of the loved ones, when the festival begins. The red color that is used in the Holi festival is extracted from red Sandal Powder, Lalchandan and Raktachandan. These color extracts are known to be extremely good for skin, and therefore are one of the ingredients used in making face packs.

These sources of red pigment are also preferred over Red Gulab. A lovely red colored powder can also be made by drying red hibiscus flowers. Flour is added to this powder to add bulk to it. Annato, also referred to as Sinduria is extracted from a fruit that is shaped like a water chestnut and contains beautiful seeds of brick red color. This extract is used to make wet as well as dry colors.

"The mineral chameleon, a name which has been given to oxide of manganese, may be considered, in its perfectly dry state, as a green powder" (Goethe 542). "If we strew it in water, the green color displays itself beautifully in the first moment of solution" (Goethe 542). The green color signifies vitality. It adds great life to the entire event. People splatter this color on their close friends and family as a symbol of inviting them to play Holi with them.

Different shades of green are made by using henna powder and then adding suitable quantities of flour to it so as to attain the desired shade. Henna powder can also be used as such (Gans 69). The blue color is used to signify calm and sedateness. In Holi, it is a marker of peace. Some people use this color to splatter the faces of their friends of family with whom their relations have been strained.

The blue pigment is extracted from the Jacaranda flowers that are first dried in the shade and then crushed to get a lovely blue colored powder. This flower specifically blooms in the summer season. Just like the red hibiscus, the blue hibiscus can also be used to make this pigment. Blue hibiscus is found in Kerala. The yellow color signifies a pious feeling. It is important to note here that Holi is celebrated as a religious festival (Gans 78).

Therefore, the use of yellow color is important as the Hindus believe that they are washing away their sins by playing Holi. The yellow color is made by mixing two teaspoons of Turmeric powder with almost double the amount of gram flour. Apart from this, the normal kasturi haldi can also be used for making this color.

"They (colors) produce a corresponding spiritual vibration, and it is only as a step towards this spiritual vibration that the elementary physical impression is of importance" (Kandinsky 42) The festival of Holi is known for its potential to bring people together. It is not just limited to Hindu religion but anyone is invited to join their loved ones, their friends and family, in this joyous event. The use of different colors gives other the feeling of satisfaction and being loved from by their friends and family.

"Many colours have been described as rough or sticky, others as smooth and uniform, so that one feels inclined to stroke them (e.g., dark ultramarine, chromic oxide green, and rose madder). Equally the distinction between warm and cold colours belongs to this connection. Some colours appear soft (rose madder), others hard (cobalt green, blue-green oxide), so that even fresh from the tube they seem to be dry" (Kandinsky 43). Even without using words, one can express his/her feelings for the other person by choosing the right kind of color.

Methodology This section of the paper employs an appropriate methodology for the research conducted and the most suitable of all for this kind is semiotic and historical analysis. The employed methodology will undergo several studies and imperatively infuse relevant and selective material that leads to resourceful conclusion. Data and Sources used The prospect of the research embraces in-depth study as the need to come to an unbiased and accurate result.

However, to achieve the desired outcomes online libraries have been accessed in order to study peer reviewed journals, published articles and online books to develop a wide and better understanding of the subject. The existing literature includes investigation and results of previous research work conducted on the given topic. Different theories were studied to justify hypotheses of the research paper (Holi Festival, N.d.).

Data Analysis The subject is entirely relevant to the notion of color as communication, as we have examined in class, because the entire Holi festival demonstrates a host of silent forms of communication. For example, on a historical level, the festival is a living manifestation of a range of Hindu myths, and thus serves as a means of reminding and incarnating Hindu mythology.

Furthermore, the Holi festival is extremely dynamic and interactive: the color is thrown and splashed from one person to the next, with lots of life, love and energy attached to it. It is also an extremely demonstrative and public festival since the individuals throw the color and then parade down city streets, communicating their new images and selves. Moreover, the festival is very significant in symbolic communication, as each color has its own symbolic meaning.

Every person who splashes colors on his or her family and friends does so with a specific emotion attached to it. Hence, the paper will also discuss the kinds of pigments they use. Holi is one of those events which provide researchers with full-bodied understanding of how color functions in all areas of human culture, art, and collective experience. Thus, this list includes the usage and exploration of color within film, literature, fine arts, architecture, and even biological science.

It's important to see how color functions in the world and is used as a tool for communication between creatures great and small, and how it acts as the silent partner in art and in architectural space (Goethe 54). Everyone in the Hindu community enact the scene of Holika who burnt to ashes, and therefore demonstrates the ultimate defeat of evil. However, it is commonly enacted in the northern regions of India where the images and effigies of Prahlad's sister are burnt to ashes.

Other practices in the region include cow dung hurling and screaming out obscenities as if it is Prahlad's sister Holika burning in fire. And then the Holi begins as everyone screams out "Holi hai" (it is Holi). The enactment is most common in Orissa and Gujarat where people firmly believe.