Holi (Fagu Purnima)

The Holi festival is one of the most colourful and playful festivals of Nepal, which takes place on the full moon day in the month of Falgun (between February/March). Holi is a festival of colour, which is based on the mythical demoness Hiloka. It is a day to celebrate the colours. The Holi is also called “Phagu Purnima”, which means the sacred red powder and “Purnima” is the full moon day, on which the festival ends.

This is welcoming the spring with spraying water and colour powder to everyone, people of all religions, castes, ages join this day to celebrate. People can be seen wandering either on foot or with a vehicle on the road with various colours smeared over the body. It’s all about the splashing others with water and colour or with various colour of the powder. Mostly young and some of the middle-aged people use the Lola, where Lola means the balloons. Colour power is often mixed with water and is filled in ballons which are then thrown at anyone for a good splash.

In the Terai area, some people use the watery mud to splash on over the body. It is a day to have fun and frolic for everyone, where one forgets the worldly anxieties and enjoys with colour.