Holi

Festival of colors, Faagu also known as Holi, was observed in Kathmandu and across the hilly districts of Nepal today with harmony and affinity. Holi, a popular festival in the country, begins on the eighth day of the new moon and ends with the burning of ‘Chir’, a ceremonial pole installed earlier. The festival will be observed in the Tarai region tomorrow. The festival revolves around the mythology of the demon king Hiranya Kashyapu ordering his sister Holi ka to sit on fire with Pralhad, the son of the demon king and a devout follower of Lord Bishnu, so that Pralhad would stop chanting the name of the Lord. Holika had received a boon that she would not burn in fire. However, Prahlad was saved for his extreme devotion by Lord Vishnu while Holika paid a price for her sinister desires. The festival is celebrated to mark the victory of good over evil. On the occasion of Holi, a special programme was organized where there was large volume of youths and Image Channel broadcasted it live throughout the day. Various artists performed at the programme. Security management was intensified not to let any distortion take place. Security personnel were deployed to stop activities like smearing colors forcefully and intake of intoxicating substance among others. Police had even checked vehicles at various places.