Chinmaya Mission New York
Dear CMNY family,
Hari Om!
On behalf of the CMNY board members, I would like to wish all of you a prosperous Holi!
In some parts of India, specially in Bengal and Orissa, Holi Purnima is also celebrated as the birthday of Shri Chaitanya Mahaprabhu (A.D. 1486-1533). However, the literal meaning of the word 'Holi' is 'burning'. There are various legends to explain the meaning of this word, most prominent of all is the legend associated with demon king Hiranyakashyapu
Hiranyakashyapu wanted everybody in his kingdom to worship only him but to his great disappointment, his son, Prahlad was an ardent devotee of Lord Naarayana. Hiaranyakashyap commanded his sister, Holika to enter a blazing fire with Prahlad in her lap. Holika had a boon whereby she could enter fire without any damage on herself. However, she was not aware that the boon worked only when she enters the fire alone. As a result she paid a price for her sinister desires, while Prahlad was saved by the grace of the god for his extreme devotion. The festival, therefore, celebrates the victory of good over evil and also the triumph of devotion.
Legend of Lord Krishna is also associated with play with colors as the Lord started the tradition of play with colours by applying colour on his beloved Radha and other gopis. Gradually, the play gained popularity with the people and became a tradition.
May the colors of goodness and peace rain upon us during this season and beyond.
With Prem and Om,
Acharya Arun Gossai
Thanks!
CHINMAYA MISSION NEW YORK
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Don't put the key to your happiness in someone else's pocket.
- Swami Chinmayananda
- Swami Chinmayananda
