The festival is primarily associated with triumph of good over evil and the victory of devotion over wickedness. It is believed that the bonfires that are lit on this day repre-sent the burning of the demoness Holika. In an attempt to burn Prahlad, Holika sat with him in a pyre with a cloak that protected her from fire but the cloak protected Prahlad instead and Holika was reduced to ashes. This is how Lord Vishnu protected his devotee, Prahlad.
This year Holika Dahan was celebrated in the Mahavirji Temple on 7th March. Logs and twigs of wood were arranged by the gardeners in the parking lot of the temple as it is quite a large area. More than 200 devotees gathered there by 7.30 pm, when the priests came with a puja thaali and chanted a few mantras before lighting the pyre.
The devotees had carried twigs of choliya as offering to the holy pyre which was then eaten as Prasad. All the devotees did a parikrama of the pyre while praying silently.
It was a beautiful sight as the pyre lit up the entire area.
by Dr Reeta Mahesh (N block)
