Enigma of Holikaa Asuraa princess of Phagwa

Phagwa, or the “Festival of Colours” is so named as it is identified with the the Hindu month of Phalguna. The other popular name of the festival, Holi, is derived, from the name Holikaa, sister of the iconic antagonist, Hiranyakashipu, in the story of Phagwa.

From a point of Dharma, the festival should have been named after Prahalaad, who is the chief protagonist, as one does not identify a leelaa by a dark character. If this was the case, our beloved Ramleela would have been called Ravan Leela.

Why then this enigmatic departure in naming a Hindu festival after a dark character such as Holi? That is hard to say.

An interesting quote in reference to a cosmetic brand taken from a Wikipedia site may serve us: Korean “holida” means temptation to form the brand name and its concept.

Holika derives from English suffix “-holic” which means addiction. Holi as Phagwa is, in fact, affected by bhaang and craziness.

Holikaa does play a significant role in the Phagwa story. The name “Holi” has been the prominent name carried down the ages by the ancient and medieval Sanskrit texts and the later dharmik texts in regional Indian languages. Holikaa is mentioned in the Vishnu Puraan. Holi as the name for the festival is emphasised by a familiar slogan - “Buraa naa maan, Holi hai!” (Be not vexed, it is Holi today!” This reveals that the festival at heart seeks to initiate the spirit of “reconciling” as a major socio-religious feature of Holi. But the narrative we know does not present Holikaa as a figure of reconciliation.

A significant ceremony that launches Phagwa, Vasant Panchami, usually taking place in January/February, is also called Holikaa Aropanam, that is the planting of Holikaa. Locally it is referred to as chook olikaa, a label signifying the ritual planting of a castor oil plant representing Holikaa. The significance of the Holikaa ceremony is further strengthened by the planting space becoming a temporary community and ceremonial point from that ‘seed day’ until Holikaa Dahan night. The ceremony on this night, Holikaa Dahan night, signals the beginning of Phagwa.

Around the castor oil plant representing Holikaa, the community builds a pyre. It traditionally served as a community piling-up of all its combustible wastes. It has also served as a point of excitement for the children to get busy in work/play competition to find old and discarded items to put on the mound as well as a practical role of an annual community “spring” cleaning.

The ceremonial firing of the Holikaa pyre takes place on a full moon night. The ritual’s participants, usually three of five, would have taken a sankalp (vow) to be the principals of the ceremony for a declared amount of years, either three, five or nine years.

HOLIKAA FRIDAY AT THE KENDRA

Holikaa Friday has grown tremendously at the Kendra. While the Kendra practices a low keyed Holikaa aropanam and Dahan rituals on the actual lunar dates, the organisation has opted to observe the public Holikaa Dahan on the Friday night closest to the traditional date. This is for the sake of accommodating for public participation. For this reason too, Pichakaaree is held on the following Sunday.

At the Kendra, the traditional burning pyre has been transformed into a large dramatic stage on which the burning issues of the day are examined and explored by various participants. The traditional story makes way in part for a deepening of the story to allow for a deliberation on social issues but which finds natural exploration within the traditional kathaa. Here then, the story of Holikaa, a mysterious character empowered with a boon of immunity to fire, and who willingly carries out her brother’s evil designs upon a child, provides a rich context to interpret social issues of the day in the country.

The Holikaa drama, even in its traditional setting, affords use of colourful characters — warriors, monks, musicians and gurus — and the spectacle of ancient costumes and that of royalty. The story affords for the drama of war and peace, of conversion and resistance, of power and the resultant arrogance and of the stirring faith of resistance by child-saint Prahalaad. These provide an interesting device in Hindu literature called, “Kshepak”, which means “thrown in”; the Holikaa Dahan drama allows for a dynamic dialogue between then and now intersecting on the wide and deep ocean of the human condition.

The culmination of the story, with the appearance of Narsingh Avataar, the half-man, half- lion, is received with great reverence and awe.

This year, the Kendra Phagwa Festival, presents the Holikaa drama as “Breaking News – The Mahapattar Solution.” It is a salute to the Kendra’s chosen theme for the year, Enlightened Citizenship as the way forward for Trinidad and Tobago to be a safe and happy country.

Complimenting the Kandra’s dramatic presentation will be a special feature by the Mahatma Gandhi Institute on the “Forgotten genres of Phagwa music”.

Holikaa Dahan takes place this Friday, March at 6.45 pm at the Kendra Grounds, Raghunanan Road, Enterprise.

Pichakaaree and Ranga Barase takes place next Sunday, March 8, beginning at 2.30pm at the same venue.