Holi is the festival of color which is celebrate all over in India. This is a hindu spring festival. People of Maharashtra have there own grand style of hold celebration. Holi pournima is also known as Shimga in Maharashtra. Festivities that last 5 to 7 days. On that day of Holi celebrating Shimga and after 5days celebrating Rangpanchami in Maharashtra.

I remember on day of holi or Shimga my mother made yummy puran poli with katachi amti, varan, kuravdi, rice, kheer, bhaji and most important she made small insects like snake, scarpio with wheat flour then we went to hold fire then first bow in front of holi break coconut, insert naivadya, small wheat dough insects in side fire and round with milk throwing surround fire.

Holika Dahan:-

On the evening of this festival, typically at or after sunset, the pyre is lit, signifying holika Dayan. The ritual symbolises the victory of good over evil.
Few day before Shimga youngster go around the community, collect firewood and money. On the day of Shimga, the firewood is heap into a huge pile in each neighborhood. In the evening, the fire is lit. People break coconut in front of Holi, make round near fire and start to shout loudly which is called as Shimga. The meaning of shouting because if you have any problem in your life which is burn in Holi.

Rangpanchami

On day of Holi celebrating Shimga and after 5 days celebrating Rangpanchami in Maharashtra.  There is no traditional of holding puja and the day is for partying and pure enjoyment. Children and young people form groups armed with dry color, color solution and water guns, water balloons filled with colored water, and other creative means to color their targets.

 

SoStory of holi

Holi gets its name from Holika. Demon King Hiranyakashyapa’s sister. Hiranyakashyap had got a boon from lord Brahma because of that he will not killed by man or anmimal, at day or night, inside or outside, above or on the ground.

So,Hiranyakashyap decide that only he should be worshipp not any god. But his own son Prahlad continued to worship lord Vishnu. This made hiranyakashp angry. he ordered his solder push pralhada from mountain, but pralhad remained unhurt because lord vishnu protect him.

Now hiranyakashpa more angry than before he ordered push him in well, again Pralhad unhurt, then tried to poiuson pralhad. Poison turn in to nectar in Pralhad’s mouth.

Next, hiranyakashyapa ordered that willd elephants should trample Pralhada, but pralhad not hurt at all.
Finally, Holika made pralhad sit on a pyre with her. She protect by shawls that kept her from being burn but shawl fly from her to Prahlad. So, Holika burned, Pralhad was safe.

Lord Vishnu appeared as narsimha which is half man, half lion. And killed Hiranyakashyap at dusk, with nails, on his porch steps.
So, this festival  remind us of the victory of good over evil. After Holi we celebrate Rangpanchami in which we play with color.
This tradition is coming from lord Krishna who celebrate holy with color and water in Brij.