Colourful Holi-ness

The sacredness and symbolism of Holi influenced central Asian mystics like Rumi, Sanai, Attar and Khaqani, among others. The auspicious spirit of Holi moved Fariduddin Attar, the putative master of Jalaluddin Rumi, so deeply that he wrote in Persian, 'Zardi ye man az to, surkhi ye to az man' - take away all of my ailment/yellowness and give me your health/redness. It's worth noting that the word 'gulaal' is Persian, a short form of 'gul-laal', meaning 'red flower'. Even abeer, or aabeer, is Persian - fragrant dry dust used by Iranian mystics. Rumi said that colours of Holi would descend on the world when angels participated in gaiety of Holi in bahisht, paradise.

There's a cosmic divinity to Holi because colours symbolise colours of life. There's a beautiful Hindi couplet in Braj: Bhagwan jin rangon se khele hain/ Rang wahi jivan mein lene hain - the colours god played with, should be imbibed by us.

In some religious traditions in central India, Holi is viewed as the prism through which mortals see gods play. It is time to get rid of negativity, hatred and bad blood. Urdu poet Ravish Siddiqui said, 'Holi hai woh safar-e-muqaddas, ye maan/ Banaye jo aadmi ko insaan se bhagwan' - you must concede that Holi is a sacred journey that gradually refines humans into godhood. It's interesting to note that there's a gradual ascension of humans in Sufism. From a mere aadmi, one who breathes and dies, to insaan, one who loves all, derived from the Arabic root word Uns: love.