It is a rather beautiful coincidence that we get to celebrate Holi and International Women’s Day on the same day this year.
It makes one think about the relationship between Holi and women. On the one hand, it is a festival that encourages everyone to let their hair down and celebrate the love between Radha and Krishna.
On the other hand, it is a reminder of how belittled and unsafe many women feel as they choose to celebrate Holi in the confines of their homes due to the fear of harassment and assault.
Holi is also a celebration of the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Lord Vishnu as Narasimha Narayana over Hiranyakashipu. Central to this story is the role of Holika, the Asura sister of the evil Asura king Hiranyakashipu. In many parts of India, choti Holi is celebrated with a bonfire that signifies “Holika Dahan” - the burning of Holika.
We all know the legend, Hiranyakashipu’s son Prahlad became a devout devotee of Lord Vishnu and that did not go down well with his egomaniacal father. After various failed attempts to kill his own son, he finally orders his sister Holika to jump in a bonfire with Prahlad, her nephew.
As Holika was blessed by the gods, the fire could not harm her in any way, but this time the gods decided to transfer her blessings to Prahlad. As she burned in the fire, Prahlad remained unharmed.
This story has been told for ages and it paints Holika as a villainous evil woman. But what if one digs deeper into the story of Holika?
A woman who was taught to revere, love, respect and obey her tyrannical brother. A woman who saw, as per some myths, the gods attack the kingdom of her brother and abduct her pregnant sister-in-law (who gave birth to Prahlad). Some myths say that Holika or Simhika … actually knew the evil that was about to happen to Prahlad, and chose to be burnt rather than allowing Prahlad to be consumed by the flames…thus in some parts of India, and in some sects of Hinduism, she is worshipped as goddess Shakti and Swaha Devi.
What a surprise this is … to even consider that someone who we have cast in the role of a “villain” may, in some other voices, be recast as the “hero”... I have often wondered what we might hear, if we are willing to listen to the same stories being told by different voices.
On this Holi and International Women’s Day, I pray for a canvas that celebrates the symphony of colors … and yet allows each color to be distinct.
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