Swami Vishwananda spoke about Holi wich is celebrated on Monday, 1st March. It is the Festival therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion. The story is:
The Demon King Hiranyakashipu wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad became an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana, Vishnu. Hiaranyakashipu commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result she paid a price for her sinister desires, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the god for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion. It is because of this event, Holika (a bonfire) is burnt every year on Holi eve. The burning of the effigy of Holika is called Holika Dahan (death of Holika).
Tomorrow there is also the Sri Chaitanya Gauri Purnima, which is the holy day of appearance of Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu. It is celebrated by Vaishnavas every year on the full moon day of the month of Phalgun (February-March). In year 2010, Gaura purnima is observed on 28th February. It was Lord Chaitanya who inaugurated the chanting of ‘Hare Krishna Maha Mantra’ as the process of deliverance for the age of Kali. Sankirtana movement was started by Sri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu which is gradually spreading throughout the world.
