Phagu Poornima or Holy

The festival of Holy (also known as the festival of colours) is one of the most popular festivals of Nepal and is equally and enthusiastically celebrated in India, Bangladesh and Sir Lanka. Celebrated at the end of the winter season of the last full moon day of the lunar month of Phalgun (feb-mar), by all ages and groups; mainly those belonging to the Hindu faith, the festival has an ancient origin and is celebrated to honour the triumph of good over the evil and during which the revelers smear each other with coloured powder, hand out sweets and take part in procession. Traditionally, people rub the coloured power onto each other as symbols of wising a Happy season ahead. People from all walks of life come onto the streets for the celebration which also serves as a reminder to take care of the less privileged in the society. Beginning with the lighting up of bonfire on the holy eve, the festival is always heralded by sticking of wooden pole known as Chir with colorful streamers beside the old royal palace at Basantapur by the arrangements of the government religious endownment (Guthi ) office.

Holy festival is celebrated throughout Nepal with great pomp and show lasting for a whole week in which the entire country gets drenched in the coloured water. Family and friends get together and celebrate the occasion with lots of merry making. The festival is observed with most of joy and gaity in the Terai (low land of Nepal in the southern part of the country). The festival ends with the burning of the pole on the night preceding the Phalgun full moon. Of the many festivals in Nepal, Holy, the festival of colours is the most vibrant and joyous and is also one of the few occasion in the country where all the cultural norms are suspended, distinction of  caste and religion are forgotten which would otherwise have been considered taboo or shockingly inappropriate public flirtation.

Glance of Nepal