Watch till the end!

 
Second Fans of action of the Arrow 1.FC Magdeburg

“If the results do not fit your team, this is one of the most original ideas, to let it know the team. Much better than an angry mob that waits on the team bus, “commented one fans this action. 300,000 times the video was now already clicked from anywhere in the world. High praise, many press inquiries. The arrows are now being auctioned on eBay, the proceeds go to “Block U 1 FC Magdeburg. “

Third Holi – Indian festival of colors

The whole of India welcomes the spring of each year with the colors hard “Holi”. Here, people throw colored powder and sprayed in the face with perfume. More and richer information at Wikipedia and on this page. Was filmed and edited this video from Devin Graham.

4th Small boy first discovered his shadow

5th The nerdigste elephant in the world?

The elephant “Peter” is playing with the phone “Galaxy note” from Samsung. The makers assert any authenticity. And present an outtakes video.

6th The sisters Charlotte and Jonathan on “Britain’s Got Talent”

The English make this show any more than it does RTL.

7th Eagles, fox and cat at the door

1.1 million clicks. Here, the plot really keeps in check.

8th If Batman has time free

Does he drive around in his Lamborghini convertible.

9th A real Angry Bird

Man struggling with a goose. Both annoying.

10th Drunk driver in the patrol car sings “Bohemian Rhapsody”

This list is based on data from the viral video chart of Unruly Media, which are exclusively evaluated for “online world”. It measures how often videos are in Germany on Facebook, Twitter and in approximately two million blogs, shared and integrated. Status of these charts: 31 March, 20:00.

This particular festival- holika dahan- is celebrated one day before the festival of colours- holi, the name of which is surely induced from the name of the evil Holica. The statue of Holika is burnt each year to celebrate the triumph of goodness on evil. The festival is celebrated not only by the burning of the idol but also by playing with coloured powders.

The concept of this game is mainly to wash away all sins committed in the past year. On this particular occasion Bhang, an alcoholic drink, is served to people- be it to men or women. The asians believing in the holi colours, are superstitious about one thing- they hold the belief that the first bachelor applying colours to a girl will live by her side forever.

General Description
Few days before this occasion, particularly children are very keen to throw water-filled balloons and water missiles (pichkari), if anybody stares or passing by through the lanes. Additionally, housewives prepare variety of sweets in their homes like mathri, gujiya, malpuas and dahi badas etc to exchange with friends and relatives. On this day, people tend to engage in dancing on the beats of dholak after a kick of bhang. Women sing traditional songs and bhajans related to Hinduism. Different coloured faces can be witnessed with red, pink, blue, yellow and so many other ‘gullals’ in Holi. Meanwhile, individuals love to play several interesting games like tambola, gathered together at a place.

The style of playing Holi varies from state to state and city to city in the nation. Somewhere, a tradition of breaking the pot (Matki forna) plays a major role in this event. This pot, filled with milk is hung up on a height through a rope. A pyramid of individuals stands one upon one to climb up to break the pot, meanwhile, women throw water buckets to them to pull them down. The one who reach first at the top wins the game. In these days, the craze of this ritual is at peak as it is celebrated in all the cities across the world.

For those who are fond of Holi, fairs to festivals tour are well-matched package to them. By availing these India tour packages, tourists can involve in all the rituals of this event and also get depth knowledge about story tale behind it. At this time, a wide range of tourists prefer to visit India so that Indian tourism agents have announced special discounts and deals with India holidays to attract more and more visitors to come here and enjoy this festival of colours.

This is pre-eminently the spring festival of Bharat. The trees are smiling with their sprout of tender leaves and blooming flowers. With the harvest having been completed and the winter also just ended, it is pre-eminently a festival of mirth and merriment.

The festival of Holi is synonymous with water balloons, pichhkaris or water guns, gulaal, bhang and mithai. Different regions of India celebrate this festival in different styles. Be it Phagwa in Bihar or Hola Mohalla in Punjab, the fun and frolic remains just the same.

Perhaps the most popular and colorful among these various styles is the one played at Barsana near Mathura in the state of Uttar Pradesh. Known as Lath mar Holi, it is played a few days in advance of the actual day of the festival. People flock in thousands to be a part of the traditional festivities. Legend goes that Lord Krishna came to his beloved Radha’s village – Barsana – on this day and teased her and her friends. However, women of the village used lathis (sticks) to drive him away. Since then, men from Krishna’s village, Nandgaon, visit Barsana every year to play Holi in the town which also has the distinction of having the only temple dedicated to Radha in India.

During Holi, practices, which at other times could be offensive, are allowed. Squirting colored water on passers-by, dunking friends in mud pool amidst teasing and laughter, getting intoxicated on bhaang and reveling with companions is perfectly acceptable. In fact, on the days of Holi, you can get away with almost anything by saying, “Don’t mind, it’s Holi!” (Hindi = Bura na mano, Holi hai.)

In March, Jaipur in India’s Rajasthan district, is THE place to be, to bear witness to the hugely popular Elephant Festival, celebrated every year on the occasion of the festival of colours known as Holi, with a unique concept.

This stunningly colourful festival is celebrated all over India, but in combination with the Elephant festival of Jaipur, gets some extra spice added to it, the extremely loud and spectacularly painted beasts the major attraction in their truly incredible outfits. 

Perfect venue for this annual occasion is the famous Chaugan ground in Jaipur, the festival beginning with a amazing parade of decorated Elephants, lots of differing activities on offer for enjoying during the celebrations.

Onlookers get treated to the sight of Elephants racing each other, competing as mounts in, polo-matches and forming great obstacles in tug-of-war competitions, so spectators can really enjoy seeing Elephant at their best. The competitive mahouts each decorate their own Elephants from head to toe from head to tail in outrageous splendour with exceptional attention to detail, vying for Best Decorated Elephant first prize.

Elephants are believed enjoy the festivities as much as people, also dancing and playing games. Festival visitors can enjoy live folk dances and music programs, the day reviving memories of the Jaipur royalty by enjoying glorious Elephant rides.

All the huge beasts are beautifully decked with floral motifs, providing superb backgrounds for tourist photography. Holi tourists play the game of Holi mounted on these painted Elephants, another unusual treat, something different for the tourists to enjoy.

Since the so-called Puranic times in India, Elephants have been seen as precious and majestic, their supremacy also well illustrated in Hindu Mythology, at the time of Samudra Manthan – when demon and Gods were busy churning the ocean – according to legends the Gods fortunately received Airavata the Elephant which later became the vahana – divine vehicle – of Indra, and subsequently a symbol of royalty in Indian culture. Most noticeable feature of the Jaipur festival is that all Elephants taking part have to be female. A truly exceptional destination for an unforgettable experience.

Apart from few of these, there are many other fairs in India which have the international importance and these include the Pushkar fair in which camels have a part to play. In this fair, you have a wonderful interaction with the different cultures of the world as people of different countries come together. You can also have a dip at the Pushkar Lake and the Hindus believe such an act cleanses of the sin of the previous births.

Apart from the fairs, Indian festivals are quite famous not only in India but some of them are celebrated globally. There are two types of festivals. One category is the religious festivals. Eid, holy, Diwali, Budda Poornima, good Friday, Easter, Christmas, Onam, Krishna Janamashtami, Gurupurab and many other. Among the other festivals are the Independence Day, Republic day, Gandhi Jayanti and many more. Diwali is considered as one of the main festivals of Hindus in India. It is also the festival of lights. On this day, there are prayers in the temple; crackers are burnt and this is a fine act of celebration. Every house decorates with lamps and there is a worship of goddess Lakshmi, also called the goddess of wealth.

The second in the list of Indian festivals is Janamashtami. It is the celebration of the birthday of lord Krishna, the son of Devki. People keep fast on these festivals and it is really a great experience to receive the blessings of the lord. The Muslims and Christians celebrate Eid and Christmas with full fervor. The Buddhists and Sikhs celebrate their festivals with real charm. One thing about India is the unity of religion and culture and this makes it one of the splendid destinations to live in the world. The republic day parade and the Independence Day speech will really make you dream big about this wonderful nation. It will also remind you of the glorious freedom struggle of freedom fighters for this country.

Onam has relevance in the Kerala and is celebrated in that region with great fervor. The state has got the Onam vacations for the children and there are many cultural events organized during these days. Come to wonderful India and become one with this ancient land during the celebration of festival in India. Find more info on Rajasthan Festivals and Rajasthan Holidays with Rajasthan Holiday Packages

India has 28 states and 7 union territories, each with their own amusements, besides the festivals celebrated throughout the country. Although Delhi has few regional festivals, town festivals celebrating the country’s most charismatic and lively. 

Tourists just love how these festivals are celebrated, some of them even schedule their trip according to their program. Best-loved festival of Holi is tourists worldwide. 

Color Festival 

Holi, also called the Festival of Colors, is celebrated in late winter, the last day of full moon “monthly month (February / March) and usually fall in late February or early March. The celebration is spread over two days – the first day, the night before, bonfires are lit and prayers were held at Holika Dahan and spiritual activities. Camp fires are lit to keep away evil spirits instead. The next day, the main day of celebration, people are playing by spraying each other with colored powder and water on your face, hating her “Happy Holi”. The most fascinating part of the festival is the drink called Bhang (a drink blessed god Shiva). The festival is also known for sharing love, happiness and affection between people. 

In Indian tradition, Holi is a festival of brilliance (Teja) in the universe. During this festival, different waves of light traverses the universe, creating varied colors that nourish and adjustable single compliment those elements in the universe. From here and how people choose to sarbatoresca this event. 

A famous tourist destination 

Most tourists say they have never seen anything more wonderful – people dancing in the street with colored faces, spreading happiness everywhere. The scenes are different from night clubs and bars in town, with which they were accustomed, and to be part of this festival on the Indian wine from all over the world. As the country welcomes its guests with love and warmth, tourists simply can not stop – India is seen by millions of tourists every year during festivals. 

India is more than we used to believe. It is a colorful country, for better or worse, like the one in which we live. India is tradition, spirituality, celebration and life, and becoming more travel agencies to change their program to transport millions of tourists from all over the world to the cultural center of Asia. Next time you plan your vacation would not hurt to make a trip to the local agent, to see what you can offer exciting travel destinations.

As I write this, Holi, the festival celebrating the advent of spring, has concluded. Yesterday, by midnight, men lit huge bonfires to commemorate the presence of goodness in the world, and today, smeared coloured powder on each other in the streets to mark the presence of passion in our lives. All Indian festivals, all festivals, have deep meaning. But something happened yesterday which made me understand that what we celebrate in festivals is ourselves. And so, our festivals mirror ourselves, they do not mirror the occasion they were founded for. Are we vibrant and vital, or are we moribund and morose? Our festivals are likewise. Our festivals are ourselves.

Back in my childhood, we used to live in a place I would now prefer to forget. Suffice it to say that only the bright light of Holi could dispell the marshy gloominess of the place. I was adolescent, and was having problems with my mother. Come Holi, we kids would leave our homes early in the morning to explore the neighbourhood for unclaimed dry wood to add to our bonfire. Then we’d go to school, and then play keenly contested games of cricket. In the dark of dusk, we’d collect leaves, branches, logs, even bamboo left after construction, and dig a hole in the ground and wedge the taller logs there in a tent-shape. Inside and around this we kids would wedge the smaller odds and ends of wood. It was a complex process, full of interaction, coordination, fun toil, and the infantile intrigue involved in the scouring of wood, the selection of a good bonfire site, the preparation of snacks by the neighbours for the eager Holi-workers, the earnest discussions about the purchase of wood and about securing contributions for the purpose. By evening the adults would come down to help or to offer suggestions. Suddenly, we children were connected with our community and our society. We felt cosy and secure, at home in the neighbourhood. That was Holi.

One day the festival left our neighbourhood, and we left the neighbourhood a few years later, so I can’t tell you if the festival returned to that neighbourhood. I remember the night on which Holi disappeared. The bonfire was about to be lit up. It was around midnight. The people of the building were clustered round the wood-pile. This was supposed to be a festival, a joyful occasion, and per traditions of the region, people were supposed to ululate and shout off-colour remarks as the wood was set alight. But, as we all realised, no one was shouting. Everyone was awkward. Songs were blaring out on a music system borrowed from the ground-floor neighbours, but no one was dancing. Instead, people were clustered in ones and twos, discussing their everyday issues as if they were at the bus stop, discussing their routines. Only the children were dancing. Then, when it came time to light the bonfire, the children raised a massive hoot that shook the roofs off the neighbouring houses, in which activity there was feeble participation from the grown-ups. As the bonfire rose high, we threw coconuts into the flames to be recovered later.

We children were high on adrenaline, gloriously sweaty and our hearts were thumping. The grown-ups were as at a cremation service. They brought down our mood. In the moment, we realised that something had changed in our community.

A short while later, the coconuts were dredged out of the fire, someone cracked the coconuts with a rock and the white coconut meat was distributed among everyone. People left. It was just us children and the crackling bonfire. One of us remarked, “Holi has left.” He was right, for Holi was not celebrated since then. In subsequent years the bonfire was not lit, the people did not reinforce their neighbourly ties. The community life died. It was evident when people lost interest in their festival.

Why did the festival die in the neighbourhood? A number of phenomena came together. I could think of the departure of the community leaders, the changing times in which old traditions seemed invalid in the new age, I could think of the coincidence of quarrels and cross-accusations which poisoned the civil life in the community. That understanding certainly reduces the sorrow I feel.

Nowadays, I live in a neighbourhood–and in a time– of general optimism and economic growth. I went out yesterday night for a taste of the Holi atmosphere. I chose to go to Navi Mumbai– New Bombay– to see the pace of Holi.

Well, I was impressed.

Each neighbourhood was celebrating Holi with humongous bonfires, mass dancing, much boisterousness, great happiness. They were in the spirit of the festival. Men, women, children, everyone genuinely enjoying themselves.

And I began wondering what it is that makes festivals live and die…

The celebration of the ultimate triumph of Good over Evil. While, a feast of colors associated with the Holi is the face of this celebration, the original reason of celebrating Holi, lies in its soul.

Literally “Holi” signifies “burning” in Indian language. But, how it came to be associated with ‘burning’, is the story. The reference is found in the ancient Indian mythology. And it is the legend of King Hiranyakaship, with whom the celebration of Holi is associated.

Way back in the pre-Christian era, there lived a demon king named Hiranyakaship in ancient India. He wanted to avenge the death of his younger brother. The brother, also a demon, had been killed by Lord Vishnu, one of the supreme trio, monitoring the life and death in the universe, (according to the Hindu belief). To take on Vishnu, the tyrant king wanted to become the king of the Heaven, the Earth and the Underworld. He performed severe penance and prayers for many years to gain enough power. Finally he was granted a boon. Powered by the boon, Hiranyakshipu thought he had become invincible. Arrogant, he ordered all in his kingdom to worship him, instead of God. The demon king, however, had a very young son, named Pralhad. He was an ardent devotee of Vishnu. Despite his father’s order, Pralhad continued to pray to Vishnu. So the demon king wanted to kill his son. He asked the favor of his sister Holika who, because of a boon, was immune to fire. They planned that Pralhad would be burned to death. A pyre was lit up and Holika sat on it, clutching Pralhad. Yet, at the end Pralhad emerged unscathed by the fire, and Holika, the demon, was burned to ashes. The earnest devotion and complete submission to Lord Vishnu saved young Pralhad. Thus was the triumph of Pralhad, the representative of good spirits and the defeat of Holika, the representative of evil. Later, even the demon king Hiranyakaship was killed by Lord Vishnu. But that is quite a different story. It is from Holika, that the Holi originated.

Women preparing the Holika Dahan Bonfire.

The Bonfire.

This legend is relived even today on the Holi-eve when the pyre is re-lit in the form of bonfires. Even today, people celebrate this occasion. Huge bonfires are lit up every year on the eve of the full moon night of the Holi to burn the spirit of the evils. Hence the story associated with the soul of the celebration.

Now, let us look into the colorful face of the festival. How did the celebration of Holi assume a colorful face? Well, it is linked to yet another legend, the legend of Lord Krishna. Though of much later origin, it was still in the pre-Christian era. 

According to the Hindu belief, Krishna was a reincarnation of lord Vishnu himself. It was Krishna, the king of the ancient city of Dwarka, who popularised the tradition of Holi. The origin of the colorful and frolicking tone of Holi lies in the boyhood of Krishna. It all came up as part of his pranks, he used to play with his boyhood mates of Gokul and Vrindavan. Situated in north India, these are the places where he spent his childhood.

It was at this time of year, Krishna used to play pranks by drenching the village girls, with water and colors. At first it offended the girls. But they were so fond of this mischievous boy that soon their anger melted away. And, it did not take long for other boys to join in, making it a popular sport in the village. Later, as Krishna grew up, the play assumed a new dimension. It added more colors to Krishna’s legendary love life. The legend of Krishna’s courtship with Radha, and playing pranks with the ‘Gopis’. The girls in the ‘dairy’ village of Gokul were mostly milkmaids, and hence locally known as the ‘Gopis’. The same tradition has transpired through the ages, turning it into a community festival of the masses. As time kept flowing, the culture spread roots to other regions of the country. The Holi play of Krishna is documented in hundreds of ancient paintings, murals, sculptures and scriptures found across the subcontinent.

Image via Wikipedia

To start with, I want to explain what exactly is Holi. Holi is the festival of colors. On the day of Holi, which is today (19th March), we collect lots of wood and then burn it. Tomorrow (20th March) is Dhulivandan, or the day when we play with colors.

The festival of Holi has a story behind it, I will recount it the way I remember it. There was once a great king called Hiranyakashipu. His son Prahlada was a devotee of Lord Vishnu. Now Hiranyakashipu had been granted a boon by Lord Brahma which made him impossible to kill (the way he was killed is a different story), and because of this he considered himself God and was not happy with the fact that his son worshipped Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashipu tried changing his mind, but Prahlada refused to stop praying. Hiranyakashipu’s sister Holika had a boon that she could not be burned, so she took Prahlada and sat on a pyre (stack of wood). The pyre was burned, Prahlada remained unharmed, but Holika was burnt to death. To remember this day that Holika burned a stack of wood is burnt on the day of Holi.

The origin of the festival of Dhulivandan is unknown (at least to me). Dhulivandan is celebrated almost through the entire country irrespective of caste, creed. Dhulivandan or the festival of colors is celebrated by throwing colored powder or colored water at each other. This festival is celebrated by the young and old alike. It is best played in a group.

The best part about Holi is adults have a chance of becoming kids again. So, if you want to play Holi get some colored powder from the market and get ready, because tomorrow is Holi. Happy Holi everyone!