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Thoughts and Quotes on Holi Festival – Messages And Teachings on Holi In Hinduism

This is a collection of thoughts, quotes and teachings on Holi festival in Hinduism. The messages are mainly of Swami Jis and are based on Hindu religion teachings.

One of the great obstacles in life to our spiritual progress is the difference between what we do or say on the outside and how we really are on the inside. Holika had performed certain austerities by which she was entitled to this boon from God. On the outside, she was pious. But, on the inside she was not pure. Prahlad, on the other hand, was a simple, pure, loving devotee of God. This is what saved him. This inner purity and inner piety is what truly save us, what truly make our lives divine.

Messages And Teachings on Holi In Hinduism

So many of us go to temple, do the rituals, offer money to the priests, and chant a certain number of prayers. Then, we go out and act in selfish, impious, dishonest ways.

All the rituals and puja in the world cannot make up for the lack of piety, honesty and compassion. The goal of going to temple is not just to perform rituals; the goal is to become spiritual. God is happier with pure, innocent, devoted Prahlad than with all the austerities and rituals performed by his father and aunt.

On Holi we chant: Holi I, Holi I, Holi I…. However, let us not just chant this rhyme; rather, let us truly pray to God that on this day “I” may become holy.

Let us pray that “I” may become pious, pure and devoted as Prahlad. In that way our lives and our hearts and our souls will be forever protected, forever sheltered at His holy feet.

As we chant “Holi I, Holi I, Holi I….” let us also pray that our “eye” may become holy, that we may be granted the divine vision by which we behold Him in all whom we see.

Let us pray that through our holy eye, we never are led toward anger, greed, lust or jealousy.

Let this Holi be a time when we change not only the color of our faces, but the color of our hearts.

Let us not only play holi, but let us become holy.

Let the only color that truly penetrates our beings, be the color of god.

For, on the morning after Holi the other colors will wash away.

But we must let the color of god be indelible in our eyes, in our ears and in our hearts.
As we play Holi… let us also pray that our “eye” may become holy, that we may be granted the divine vision by which we behold Him in all whom we see.

Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji
H.H. Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji Maharaj is the President of Parmarth Niketan
(Source: Excerpts from a message delivered during Holi Festival in 2002)

Holi is a festival of colors. This whole world is so colorful. Just like nature there are different colors associated with our feelings and emotions: anger with red, jealousy with green, vibrancy and happiness with yellow, love with pink, vastness with blue, peace with white, sacrifice with saffron and knowledge with violet. Each person is a fountain of colors which keep changing. – Sri Sri Ravishankar

Holi, the festival of colors, is another seasonal festival associated with Hinduism. At this time, everybody splashes colored water or powder all over each other. It is wonderful because it reflects exactly what is occurring in nature at that time – when all the beautiful flowers of different colors are blossoming. By celebrating this event we feel a greater oneness with nature. This splashing of colors was also a famous ‘lila’ in Shri Krishna’s life.

Holi is wonderful because it reflects exactly what is occurring in nature at that time – when all the beautiful flowers of different colors are blossoming. By celebrating this event we feel a greater oneness with nature. The dominant idea behind this festival is that we should live more in harmony with nature instead of trying to destroy her and make her our slave. - Swami Tejomayananda

Holi also means ‘sacrifice’. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spirit of Holi. Rise from the mire of stupidity and absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity. – Swami Sivananda

In ignorance, emotions are a bother; in knowledge, the same emotions add colour. Like Holi, life should be colourful, not boring. When each colour is seen clearly, it is colourful. When all the colours get mixed, you end up with black. So also in life, we play different roles. Each role and emotion needs to be clearly defined. Emotional confusion creates problems. When you are a father, you have to play the part of a father. You can’t be a father at office. When you mix the roles in your life, you start making mistakes. Whatever role you play in life, give yourself fully to it. Harmony in diversity makes life vibrant, joyful and more colourful. – Sri Sri Ravishankar

Holi Thoughts by Swami Sivananda


All great Hindu festivals have religious, social and hygienic elements in them. Holi is no exception. Every season has a festival of its own. Holi is the great spring festival of India. Being an agricultural country, India's two big festivals come during the harvest time when the barns and granaries of our farmers are full and they have reason to enjoy the fruits of their hard labor. The harvest season is a festive season all over the world.

Man wants relaxation and change after hard work. He needs to be cheered when he is depressed on account of work and anxieties. Festivals like Holi supply him with the real food and tonic to restore his cheer and peace of mind.

The religious element in the Holi festival consists of worship of Sri Krishna. In West Bengal and Orissa it is also called the Dol Yatra. The word dol literally means ‘a swing’ An image of Sri Krishna as a babe is placed in a little swing-cradle and decorated with flowers and painted with colored powders. The pure, innocent frolics of little Krishna with the merry milkmaids – the Gopis of Brindavan – are commemorated. Devotees chant the Name of Sri Krishna and sing Holi-songs relating to the frolics of little Krishna with the Gopis.

The social element during Holi is the uniting or ‘embracing’ of the great and the small, of the rich and the poor. It is also the uniting of equals. The festival teaches us to "let the dead bury the dead". We should forget the outgoing year's ill-feelings and begin the New Year with feelings of love, sympathy, co-operation and equality with all. We should try to feel this oneness or unity with the Self also.

Holi also means ‘sacrifice’. Burn all the impurities of the mind, such as egoism, vanity and lust, through the fire of devotion and knowledge. Ignite cosmic love, mercy, generosity, selflessness, truthfulness and purity through the fire of Yogic practice. This is the real spirit of Holi. Rise from the mire of stupidity and absurdity and dive deep into the ocean of divinity.

The call of Holi is to always keep ablaze the light of God-love shining in your heart. Inner illumination is the real Holi. The spring season is the manifestation of the Lord, according to the Bhagavad Gita. Holi is said there to be His heart.

Swami Sivananda (8 September 1887 – 14 July 1963)

Holi Thoughts from Hindu Blog

Talk of Holi and the first picture that comes to our mind is playing with colors. Holi is all about making natural colors and playing with natural colors. By making colors from natural materials we get close to nature. When we play with colors we drop our ego, anger, jealousy and become pure. We are so immersed in the play that we forget everything – this is the state that we try to attain through meditation – a thought free state.

Holi is specifically observed during this period because it is the period of numerous skin diseases. The gulal or natural colors that are thrown help in checking the disease carrying pathogens. It also helps in protecting the skin.

Holi also teaches us that religion is not all about prayer, and more prayer…it is not all seriousness. There is place for fun and frolic. Holi teaches us that there should creation, enthusiasm, renewed energy, forgetting the bad past, starting afresh, hope in daily life.

Just go out and join in the riot of colors…