Gujarat is the most beautiful state of India where all the festivals and fairs are celebrated every year with great fun and enthusiasm. In Gujarat, Holi is celebrated to welcome spring season on full moon day. It is celebrated in the month of Phalgun with love, colours and care. It is season of Rabi crops to grow as is also known as the agriculture season in Gujarat too. Youngsters including boys and girls move out in procession in the form of small or big tolis. At night, they light bonfire and do pooja in their own way.
Holi is celebrated for two days in Gujarat. On the first day, people in Gujarat offer corn and raw coconut into the fire at night. On the second day, people sprinkle colours and coloured water on one another and known as ‘Dhuleti’. Unmarried girls in Gujarat create images of Goddess Parvati from the ashes left behind during the night of Holika Dahan. They make these images, these girls will get husband just like Lord Shiva. In some places of Gujarat, married women beat their brother-in-law with her sari. Brother-in-law brings sweets for their bhabi’s according to the rituals and traditions.
There are many historical stories associated with the celebration of Holi. Some devotees believe that it is celebrated for Lord Vishnu and their Bhakt Prahalad. People make small images and burnt them in fire. Remaining ash is collected by the people and they rub this ash on their forehead. Some celebrate this festival with happiness as on this day demon Putana was killed by Lord Krishna. They worship Lord Krishna for Karma, pleasure and good luck.
Holi is the occasion for the celebration of harvesting new crops, to end the evil, mark the end of winter and welcome the spring season. People in Gujarat keep fasting for the whole day and they only eat after their pooja of Holika Dahan. Bonfire is fully decorated with multi-coloured flowers and fruits. They buy these fruits and flowers from the temple of Mata Rani. For pooja, they offer coconut, raw mangoes, toys made of sugar, khoya and corn. After the pooja they apply tilak, distribute sweets and hug each other.
Dwarka one of the coastal city of Gujarat, Holi is celebrated at Dwarkadheesh temple with full comedy and music. Ahmedabad is situated in Gujarat where Holi is celebrated in a special way by breaking Handi. Handi is a pot made of clay filled with buttermilk gets tied high on the streets. Boys in the form of tolis participate to break the pot by making a huge pyramid of people. People gathered there cheer these boys with some folk songs like Govinda ala re, etc. Girls try to stop these boys from breaking the Handi by throwing coloured water on them. At last the boy who breaks the Handi is termed as the Holi king. The boys make groups and go to others house to steal butter in the same manner as Lord Krishna do with their friends.