Chowtaal singing and the burning of Holika will be held on Sunday March 24 at the Bamboo No 1 Mandir, Valsayn starting 4:00 p.m.; the burning of Holika will take place at 7:00 p.m. along with tassa drumming and fire-works.
More than twenty chowtaal groups are invited to perform a chowtaal and a folk song and their performances would be judged on presentation and dress. Special prizes would be given to the best drummers and each group will receive an appearance fee.
Phagwa, like all Hindu festival, is a triumph of good over evil. The evil King Hirankashipu was overcome with abhiman (ego) after winning specials boons- not to be killed by man nor beast, neither day nor night, neither on earth or sky, neither inside a building nor outside.
Drunks with these new won powers won through intense devotion, the king held a special address to the nation and declared himself as Bhagavan. Immediately, he instructed his henchmen to remove all murtis and replace it with idols of himself. While the bureaucrats, contractors and opportunists subscribed to the demands of the State, his eight- year-old son, Prahalad, defied him by declaring that Vishnu alone was God.
Enraged, King Hirankashipu employed the services of the pandits to convince him that Vishnu was not God and only his father was worthy of worship. Prahalad remained steadfast in his resolve. His father later employed assassins to kill him but Prahalad was saved.
Frustrated, the King called upon his sister, Holika, to finish Prahalad. Holika had a boon that fire would not burn her so long as her head was covered with a special scarf. Seated on a pyre of wood holding Prahalad on her lap, the pyre was set ablaze. To the astonishment of onlookers, a gentle breeze removed Holika’s scarf and she was burnt to ashes.
Hearing that Prahalad was still alive, the king decided that he would get the task done. He confronted young Prahalad. With his sword in hand, he thundered “Is your Vishnu in this post?” and struck it with all his might. Out of the post emerged Narasingh, a half- lion and half man incarnation of Bhagavan Vishnu who went on to kill Hiran Hirankasahipu.
Phagwa has been held at Bamboo No 1 since 2000 under the banner of the Hindu Seva Sangh. The Bamboo No 1 Mandir has resolved to continue this tradition and remain optimistic that it would have the fullest cooperation of devotees and the community.
For further info please contact the following: Wayne-773-8775; Ashook- 714-5343; Jason-263-3693.