Masaan Holi | 28 Mar 2024

Why in News?

Recently, Masaan Holi, a special two-day event was celebrated in Varanasi. During which devotees put ashes from funeral fires and a pink powder (gulal) on each other. This event is also seen as a way to celebrate death.

Key Points

• The ritual of Masaan Holi Varanasi is believed to celebrate the Holika-Prahalad mythological event with the pyre ashes.
• The use of pyre ashes in Masaan Holi Varanasi symbolises the shortness of life and the cyclical nature of a person’s existence in this materialistic world.
• It is believed that the ashes used in Masan Holi possess purifying properties that cleanse the body, mind, and soul of impurities.
• By smearing each other with ash during Holi, people seek spiritual rejuvenation and internal purification.