Holi, the festival of colours, is often associated with joyous celebrations, vibrant hues, and playful splashes of colour. While the external festivities bring delight, have we ever paused to reflect on the deeper meaning of this festival?
I believe it’s a part of growing up. More than 50 years ago, when I was a student, Holi was all about the riot of colors, steering Bhang-affected classmates who had lost their way, and simply having fun. For a few years, the celebrations continued in the same spirit, but as I grew older, my interest in Holi—at least in its conventional sense—gradually faded.
Even today, if we were to ask those dancing around the Holika Dahan about its deeper meaning beyond the Puranic story, most wouldn’t have a convincing answer. Holika Dahan is not just a ritual; it symbolizes burning away the negativity of the past year and embracing a fresh start with renewed vigor—to connect, uplift, and color one another in positivity and joy.
As a senior, I believe, Holi is not just about colouring the body but about immersing the soul in the divine hues of love and devotion?
True Holi is not merely an outward celebration but an inner awakening—an opportunity to connect with the Supreme and drench our hearts in the everlasting colours of divine love. The colors we apply to our bodies fade with time, but the colour of devotion, once imprinted on the heart, remains eternal.
Let’s explore this thought through my poem:
मन से मन की होली खेल,
तन की होली गौण।
रंग प्रेम का मन पर चढ़ गया,
छुड़ाएगा फिर कौन?
तन का रंग तो पड़े फीके,
हर दिन मिटता जाए।
पर एक बार जो मन में बसा,
उसे कोई भूल न पाए।
मन से ही तो जुड़े, परमात्मा से तार।
तन के स्पर्श झूठे,
झूठा इसका प्यार।
मन से अंतर्मन की आस,
मन से मन की बुझे प्यास।
मन-अंतर्मन का रिश्ता रहे,
जब तक सांस में सांस।
होली खेलें भगवान से,
जो मन को रंग दें चोखा।
छोड़ दी तन की होली अब,
उसमें हो सकता है धोखा।
Now we explore it a bit more in the following:
मन से मन की होली खेल,
तन की होली गौण।
रंग प्रेम का मन पर चढ़ गया,
छुड़ाएगा फिर कौन?
Play Holi from soul to soul,
The hues on the body fade.
When love’s true hues touch the heart,
Who can ever make them wane?
तन का रंग तो पड़े फीके,
हर दिन मिटता जाए।
पर एक बार जो मन में बसा,
उसे कोई भूल न पाए।
The body’s colours lose their charm,
Washing away each passing day.
But once the heart is truly dyed,
No one can take that shade away.
मन से ही तो जुड़े,
परमात्मा से तार।
तन के स्पर्श झूठे,
झूठा इसका प्यार।
It is the heart that binds us all,
To the Supreme, deep and pure.
Fleeting are the body’s touch and ties,
Illusions that cannot endure.
मन से अंतर्मन की आस,
मन से बुझे प्यास।
मन-अंतर्मन का रिश्ता रहे,
जब तक सांस में सांस।
The heart’s longing seeks the soul,
Its thirst quenched only within.
As long as breath flows in our veins,
Let this sacred bond remain.
होली खेल भगवान से,
मन को रंग के चौखा।
छोड़ तन की होली अब,
उसमें सिर्फ है धोखा।
Play Holi with the Divine,
Let your soul be drenched in hues.
Forget the colours of mere flesh,
For they are nothing but a ruse.
Inspire Positivity 