Holi Re!

“Arey Hori Khele Raghuveeraa Avadh Mein Hori Khele Raghuveeraa…”

On Wednesday, the entire country was splashed with colours as Hindus and also non-Hindus celebrated Phagwah – the festival of colours. In the morning, females of the home were busy cooking all types of traditional Holi sweets like Gujiya, Gulgula, Ras Milai, and Gulab Jamoon so that everyone was free to go out and play Phagwah.

Last Wednesday, the Queen’s College Hindu Society held its annual Phagwah show, and it was a special show in so many ways. It’s my last show as a student of Queen’s College, my last year as president of the society. Events like these, where you’re under pressure to organise and pull off the biggest show of the school year, can either push a group further apart, or can create closer bonds. Fortunately for us, our society got closer. Persons who may not be regulars at the weekly “satsanghs” – meetings – stepped up to help, giving me hope that when called upon, young Hindus will rise to the challenge.
But of course our show was not limited to only Hindus or Indians, we had participants from all of the diverse groups of our “Queens’ family” who sang ‘chowtals’ and ‘bhajans’ with us, danced to Indian music and sashayed down the aisle to display Indian-wear, during our fashion show.
Phagwah commemorates the beginning of spring, the triumph of good over evil and a time for new beginnings for everyone. It’s a story set many eons ago among a people called “Asuras” – traditionally opposed to the Gods, but incorrectly called ‘demons’.  Our Queen’s performance told the story in narration, song, dance and drama with a cast of fifty.
A young Asura prince named Prahalad had the courage to stand up to his own father, King Hiranyakashipu who had started to challenge the Gods. Because of a ‘boon’ (gifted power) he received form Lord Brahma, he was nearly invincible and so filled with arrogance and pride, he demanded he be worshipped by his subjects as he proclaimed himself to be God.
To paraphrase Albus Dumbledore, “It takes great courage to stand up to our enemies, but it takes even greater courage to stand up to our family (friends)”. And Prahalad had that courage. No matter how many times his father and teachers tried to convince him otherwise, Prahalad always kept his belief in Lord Vishnu. And his prayers didn’t go in vain. The king had his minions try every which way to kill his obstinate son, but to no avail: the boy was protected by Lord Vishnu. This was even when his Aunt Holika, who was immune to fire, tried to burn him in a pyre.
Finally, Hiranyakashipu scornfully challenged Prahalad to prove that Lord Vishnu was indeed in everything and everyone.  Lord Vishnu appeared out of a pillar as Narsimha – half man- half lion. Hiranyakashipu’s boon was that he couldn’t be killed by man nor animal; not by hand nor by any weapon; not in the day nor in the night; not in a house nor outside, not on the ground nor in the air. Lord Narsimha killed Hiranyakashipu with his claws, on his knee, on the doorstep of the palace at exactly dusk. Prahalad was crowned King.
The lesson, of course, is that anyone can be a Prahalad – even or especially the young – by standing up to the Hiranyakashipus in their life. Life isn’t about always being a passive person who doesn’t have opinions or who doesn’t stand up for their beliefs. That’s not to say you should always pick up cudgels whenever someone steps on your toes. But you should always let them know firmly, that you’re not just someone they can take advantage of.
The message of Phagwah is a very strong one. Stand up for what you believe in; don’t be a carpet that everyone walks over.  Always remember Prahalad, a young boy who had the strength, the courage to stand up for his beliefs. Don’t just go along to get along.