Dolo Purnima | |
---|---|
Also called | Dola Jatra |
Observed by | Hindus of the Indian states/regions of Braj, Rajasthan, Gujarat, West Bengal, Odisha, Assam and Bangladesh |
Type | Religious, cultural, spring festival |
Celebrations | spraying coloured dye, playing with coloured powder, dancing, greetings, festival delicacies |
Date | Phalguna Purnima |
2024 date | 25 March in India |
Frequency | Annual |
Related to | Holi |
Dola Purnima, also popularly known as Dolo Jatra, Doul Utsav or Deul, is a Hindu swing festival celebrated during the Holi festival of Braj region, Rajasthan, Gujarat, [1] Odisha, Assam, Tripura and Bengal region. [2] [3] This festival is dedicated to the divine couple of Radha and Krishna. It is usually celebrated on the full moon night or fifteenth day of the Falgun month mainly by Gopal community. [4]
Hindu literature is replete with references of terms like Dolotsava and Dola Yatra. Shri Garga Samhita, a Vaishnav text has reference to Dolotsava of Shri Krishna in the month of Chaitra. [5]
The Sanskrit word Dola means a swing, [6] while utsava means a festival or a feast. Hence, Dolotsava literally means swing festival or swing feast and refers to religious service of swinging the idol of a deity on a swing. [7]
Similarly, word Dola Yatra is compound of two Sanskrit words: Dola and yatra . Yatra refers to procession and thus Dolayatra refers to swing procession. [8]
This festival is also celebrated with great fervor and enthusiasm in Radha Vallabh Sampradaya and Haridasi Sampradaya where the idols of Radha Krishna are worshipped and offered colours and flowers to commence the festivities. [9]
In Gaudiya Vaishnavism, this festival is further more significant as it was the day when Chaitanya Mahaprabhu was born who was also worshipped as the combined avatar of Radha and Krishna. He was a great saint and a philosopher who played an important part in flourishing the Bhakti movement in India. He was also the founder of Gaudiya Vaishnavism tradition.[ citation needed ]
On this auspicious day, the murtis of Krishna and his beloved Radha, richly adorned and besmeared with colored powder. In Braj, Rajasthan, Gujarat, Bengal, Odisha and Assam, the murtis of Radha Krishna are taken out in procession in a swinging palanquin, decorated with flowers, leaves, colored clothes and papers. [10] The procession proceeds forward to the accompaniment of music, blaring of conch shells, trumpets horn and shouts of joy or victory and 'Hôri Bola'.
In the region of Assam, the festival is marked by singing songs, like "Phaku khele korunamoy" by the 16th Century Assamese poet Madhavdev, especially at the Barpeta Satra. [11] The 15th century saint, artist and social reformer Srimanta Sankardev celebrated Doul at Bordowa in Nagaon, Assam. [12] The festival also includes playing with colours made usually from flowers traditionally.
In South India, the kirtan compositions of the 15th century poet, Annamacharya and Tyagaraja are sung in the evening. [13] Dolotsavam is celebrated on Holika Purnima at Suryanarayan Swamy temple at Arasavalli, Andhra Pradesh. [14]
Shesha, also known by his epithets Sheshanaga and Adishesha, is a serpentine demigod (naga) and king of the serpents (Nagaraja), as well as a primordial being of creation in Hinduism. In the Puranas, Shesha is said to hold all the planets of the universe on his hoods and to constantly sing the glories of Vishnu from all his mouths. He is sometimes referred to as Ananta Shesha.
Radha, also called Radhika, is a Hindu goddess and the chief consort of the god Krishna. She is the goddess of love, tenderness, compassion and devotion. In scriptures, Radha is mentioned as the avatar of Lakshmi and also as the Mūlaprakriti, the Supreme goddess, who is the feminine counterpart and internal potency of Krishna. Radha accompanies Krishna in all his incarnations. Radha's birthday is celebrated every year on the occasion of Radhashtami.
Holi is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love, and Spring. It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna. Additionally, the day signifies the triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu. Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent, but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora.
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Radhashtami is a Hindu religious day commemorating the birth anniversary of the goddess Radha, the chief consort of the god Krishna. It is celebrated in her birthplace Barsana and the entire Braj region on the eighth day (ashtami) of the bright (waxing) half of the lunar month of Bhadrapada. Radhashtami falls fifteen days after Krishna Janmashtami.
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