What is Holi?
- A festival of happiness and color.
- Festival of Yagya. New crops are offered to God.
- Remembering and getting inspiration from a truthful, unflinching and idealistic devotee Prahalad.
- Raising Patriotic feelings for our Motherland, without barriers of caste and creed.
- Raising the feeling of community spirit.
- Burning provocative pictures and literature in the bonfire.
- Using money collected during the festival, to purchase inspiring pictures, and writing positive quotes on the walls.
- Rather than smearing colors, dirt on each other, using the same spirit to clean our surroundings.
How to get ready for Holi?
- Get together at a temple after sunset.
- Decorate the stage and put the picture of Lord Narasimha on an altar. Also make three hills of handful of rice to do puja of Samtadevi. In order to worship the Motherland make a pile of mud.
- In one plate have all the ingredients of puja like glowers, rice, new crops like green wheat, green peas, along with sweets like sakariya for prasad.
Steps for Holi worship
Invite Lord Narasimha:
Gather everyone and sing devotional song.
Next give rice and flowers to everyone present and invite Lord Narasimha to protect and bless everyone by reciting the following mantra:
ॐ नृसिंहाय विद्महे, वज्रनखाय धीमहि। तन्नो नृसिंहः प्रचोदयात्॥ ॐ श्री नृसिंहभगवते नमः। आवाहयामि, स्थापयामि, ध्यायामि। - नृ०गा०
If possible, let one representative do Shodsoupachar worship on behalf of everyone there, else just put water with feeling of purification. Inspire others to imbibe the teachings of Lord Narasimha which are: Speak up, and fight against evil forces, and protect the people who are suffering.
After that collect all the flowers and offer them to the Lord.
Worship our Motherland:
Worship the Mud pile which signifies our Motherland by offering rice, flower, sandalwood, and sacred thread, by chanting the following mantra:
ॐ मही द्यौः पृथिवी च न ऽ, इमं यज्ञं मिमिक्षताम्। पिपृतां नो भरीमभिः। ॐ पृथिव्यै नमः। आवाहयामि, स्थापयामि, ध्यायामि। -- ऋ० १.२२.१३
After that people should take a little mud from the ground and put it on their forehead and take an oath to fulfill our duties towards our Motherland. We should reflect on our love, faith, devotion to our Motherland and offer worship as a sign of respect, and gratitude towards our country.
Worship of Samatadevi:
In order for the growth and benevolence of human beings it is important that people forget their differences and work cooperatively to achieve true progress. To signify these principles, worship three pile of rice, on the alter by chanting the following mantra:
ॐ अम्बेऽअम्बिकेऽम्बालिके, न मा नयति कश्चन।
ससस्त्यश्वकः सुभद्रिकां, काम्पीलवासिनीम्॥ -- २३.१८
The first pile signifies eradication of differences based on caste, second pile – male/female, third pile - wealth.
If possible perform Yagya or Deep Yagya after this.
Light the Bonfire (Holika Dahan)
Ask for forgiveness if you have shown differentiation and hurt others by your speech or action, and take a pledge in front of the fire to not repeat them in future. Everyone present should take water in their hand and recite the following mantra:
ॐ मित्रस्य मा चक्षुषेक्षध्वमग्रयः, सगराः सगरास्थ सगरेण नाम्रा, रौद्रेणानीकेन पात माऽग्रयः। पिपृत माग्रयो गोपायत मा नमो, वोऽस्तु मा मा हि सिष्ट॥ -- ५.३४
Offer the water to the earth with the resolve that you are getting rid of ill feelings and dislike for anyone.
Ruj Dhahran Ceremony:
In order to give an important place to our Motherland, take a little bit of mud from the ground and put it on the forehead, neck, shoulders by following along with the mantra:
ॐ त्र्यायुषं जमदग्रेः, इति ललाटे।
ॐ कश्यपस्य त्र्यायुषम्, इति ग्रीवायाम्।
ॐ यद्देवेषु त्र्यायुषम्, इति दक्षिणबाहुमूले।
ॐ तन्नो अस्तु त्र्यायुषम्, इति हृदि॥ -- ३.६२
This means that so long as we have these body parts, we will fulfill all our duties towards our Mother Land.
New Crop Yagya Celebration:
According to Indian tradition, anything new or new crops are first offered to the Lord and then people take it as prashad. During Holi people should offer new crops to Lord as ahuti (offerings) in the Yagya which is called Nav Sasyesthy, by reciting the following mantra:
ॐ अन्नपतेऽन्नस्य नो, देह्यनमीवस्य शुष्मिणः।
प्रप्रदातारं तारिषऽऊर्जं, नो धेहि द्विपदे चतुष्पदे॥ -११.८३
At the end distribute the offerings as prashad to everyone.