It is also a fact that most of the so-called Legends are real, Ramayana,Mahabharata.
Even the names of Gods are indicative of quality or an attribute of Human Nature, or more precisely the attribute through which the Human Mind can Conceive of God or Reality.
Examples.
Shiva-Auspiciousness,
Vishnu-Protector, One who supports, the word Vishnu is from the Sanskrit word ‘Jishnu’ That which supports.
Out of desire arises Anger,Anger breeds faltering of Discriminating Power,this leads to destruction.
The term Moha is a mild form Desire, Kama.
The root of all misery, as Buddha says, is the desire to cling to objects.
Attempting to satisfy the cravings of desire leads to misery , as pouring of Ghee leads to More Fire.
To eliminate misery, attain contentment through Happiness elimination of desire is advocated by Hinduism.
The Powerful Desire is called Kama.
To achieve auspiciousness(Shiva), which is a state of Desire less State Kama has to be eradicated or burnt.
The impure things can be eliminated or destroyed by the following Natural Forces.
1.Water.
2.Air(Wind) and
3.Fire.
What can not be got ridden by water is removed by Wind and that which can not be destroyed by Water and Wind is destroyed by Fire.
Fire or Agni is the Ultimate Sustainer, Purifier and Destroyer.
The day of Holi, which heralds the arrival of Spring in India,is symbolic of this.
Legend has it that Lord Shiva burnt Kama, the Lord of Lust with His Third Eye.
The Third eye in Hinduism represents Wisdom or the opening of Real Knowledge.
Holi is the celebration of Auspiciousness and removal of Desires and the heralding of Contentment and Happiness.
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After dakshayAga(1), shakti took the form of the daughter of the mountain king himavAn called pArvatI. From the early childhood she was devoted to Lord shiva and started penance for getting married to the God shiva. Lord shiva was however staying as dakshiNAmUrthi (2) making the sages sanaka, sanandana, sanAtana, sanatkumAra realize the Ultimate Truth.
In the meanwhile the celestials were put to deep hardship by the demons lead by sUrapadma, simhamukha and tharaka. This was a curse on them for attending the dakshayAga. sUrapadma had the boon that none other than the son who is the power of shiva could kill him. As Lord shiva was teaching the path of Bliss to the sages and pArvati doing penance, the celestials were desparate for the solution which is the son of Lord shiva. Out of the desperation, they lost the sense of what they were doing and sent forcibly the kAma (cupid) to induce lust in God for pArvatI.
kAma, whose arrows never failed elsewhere, was sure that he was getting into trouble. However out of pressure from the celestials (devas) he went to the abode of Lord shiva and shot an arrow that would kindle lust on the God. kAma has been vested with the power by Lord shiva to induce lust in all creatures – lives in order to maintain the reproduction as a system, so he was successful. Will that logic work on the One Who is beyond all these principles, the One Who has no pleasure out of external things? The arrow of kAma failed to induce lust in God. As the Lord opened slightly the third-eye, kAma who shot the arrow was burnt down to a heap of ash. Unperturbed the Lord continued the explanation to the sages!
This incident of burning off kAma is called kAmadahana or Holi. The posture of God burning kAma is called kAma dahana mUrthi (3) and is one of the 25 mAhEshvaramUrthis ”
Dharma Sindhu and Nirnaya Sindhu, Sanskrit texts of festive rituals and dharma shastras says morning of holi should be spent joyfully by playing with cows and calves; Holika dahan should be performed after evening.
Having constructed a platform hallowed with ‘Go Maya’ (cow dung) one should arrange a stack of sticks with Agni and perform Holika Puja with the ‘Sankalpa’ and ‘Aavaahana’ of
“Sakutumbasya mama Dhundhaa Rakshasi preetyartham tatpeedaa parihaa –raartham Holikaa pujanam karishye/ —Asmaadbhirbhayasantrastaih krutaatwam Holikeyatah, Atastwaam Pujayishyaami bhutabhuti pradaabhava!” (As were afraid of you Holika Devi! we seek your compassion and thus are resorting to shodashopachaaraas to you. Do kindly show us fearlessness and prosperity!)
The mantras addressing Holika Devi state that the ten days from Panchami and Purnima are quite propitious and during these days even stealing of ‘Indhana’ or fire-wood ignored to celebrate Holi fire on the Purnima Day when throwing of water, smearing on other’s faces with colours and using of indecent language etc., are ignored as gestures of friendship especially with neighbours and friendship circles; there would be group singing, dances and exravaganza of merriment all through the day and night. This is how the Raakshasi Holika would be satisfied.
Next morning, a Chandaala is touched before taking bath and after carrying out nitya karmaas, Holika Devi be greeted and take up one’s own duties so that the year ahead would be devoid of diseases, difficulties and mental problems.(wiki).
An Indian child reacts as colored powder is smeared on her hair during Holi festival in Chennai, India, on March 27, 2013. Holi, the Hindu festival of colors that also marks the advent of spring, is being celebrated across the country Wednesday. (AP Photo/Arun Sankar K)Indian Hindu devotees throw colored powder at the Radha Rani temple during the Lathmar Holi festival in Barsana, on March 21, 2013. Lathmar Holi is a local celebration, but it takes place well before the national Holi day on March 27. (Sanjay Kanojia/AFP/Getty Images)A Hindu devotee, face smeared with colored powder, leaves the Banke Bihari temple during Holi celebrations in Vrindavan, India, on March 27, 2013. (AP Photo/Altaf Qadri)Hindu devotees play with color during Holi celebrations at the Banke Bihari temple on March 27, 2013 in Vrindavan, India. (Daniel Berehulak/Getty ImagesIndian revelers cover each other with colored powder look on during Holi festival celebrations in Siliguri, on March 27, 2013. (Diptendu Dutta/AFP/Getty Images)
Source:The atlantic.com. visit the site for more images.
February 2015 
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