Holi – The festival of colours, sharing, joy and love
Celebrated with great fervour during the full-moon day of Phalguna (March), holi (Holaka or Phagwa), symbolizes equality. Holi assembles people of all ages, castes, gender and status: elders and youngsters, wealthy and the poor, bosses and employees, men and women get together in the yards and streets to smear each other with coloured powder or spray coloured water from bamboo blowpipes (pichkari). There are a number of traditions, beliefs and legends associated with this great festival. Celebrating the arrival of spring. Some celebrate holi as an agricultural festival. The colored powder signifies the end of winter and the arrival of spring when nature manifests itself with different colours. Trees, flowers, birds, and butterflies welcome spring by creating colourful scenery and people play with colours. Creating equality. A story also claims that Mongol Emperor Akbar once ordered to cover everyone with color to ...