Holi, the festival of colours, heralds the arrival of spring and the passing of winter. It's a time for social merriment, a time for people to bury their hatchets with a warm embrace and throw their worries to the wind in the form of ghulal. The air is electric with zeal and enthusiasm. People drench each other with the vibrant colours of holi, red, green, yellow, blue, black and silver.

The celebration of the festival of holi is lost in legend. An ancient story speaks of Holika or Putana, a demoness, who took immense delight in devouring children. Lord Krishna destroyed her and saved the little children. Hence the ritual of burning the effigy of Holika to this day. This is said to be the origin of the festival of Holi.

The Aryans celebrated Holi as 'Vasantotsav', a day that honoured Agni, the Lord of Fire. The famous poet Kalidasa called it 'Madanotsav', the spring festival. Holi signifies the bounties of nature and there is a feeling of plenty in the air, with crops harvested, threshed and stored or sold. There is money in hand and a hint of the warm breeze of impending summer. The moment is just right to celebrate joyously in a riot of colours.

In South India, Holi is known by the name of Kamadahana, the day on which Kamadev, the God of Love, was burnt by Lord Shiva. Grief-stricken Rati, Kamdev's wife beseeched Lord Shiva to take pity on her and restore her husband to life. Hence, the songs sung during Holi tell the pathetic tale of Rati and her lamentations. In Tamil Nadu Holi is known by three different names - Kamavilas, Kaman Pandigai and Kama-dahanam.

The day, which brings colour and cheer into all our lives, is here at last!. Holi happens to be just about everyone's favourite holi-day, especially the young. This is a festival that brings people together in a true spirit of celebration.The festival is also a symbolic representation of the triumph of good over evil. Though the festivities are slightly subdued down south, enthusiastic revelers are not in short supply.

A student from Mount Carmel College says, "In today's world, though a lot of us do not bother about the actual origins of the festival, we all just want to have fun." When asked about how each of them plans to celebrate this day, the students said " We all look forward to meeting up with friends and really letting our hair down."

A few students from Christ College plan to have a bash with a difference, "We are going to old age homes so that we can distribute sweets and spread the spirit of love and giving." Yet others plan on having private bashes and exchange gifts with family and friends. Elders feel that Holi should be played enthusiastically but safely, "We should be careful not to use spurious and substandard colours. Also the people should be free to play of their own will and not forced into things they are not comfortable with."

Well let us all use this opportunity to mingle with each other, discover the child in us by playing with water balloons and colours galore. A word of advice though. Don't go around indiscriminately splashing colours on all and sundry, especially strangers. Go on, have fun and paint the town red.

WISH YOU A VERY HAPPY HOLI