Page:Hindu Feasts Fasts and Ceremonies.djvu/60

44 and when Holika turns up to-morrow to demand your grandson, these children must severely rebuke her, using obscene and indecent expressions and making similar signs and symbols. She will pursue the children. They must not at all be afraid of her, but must continue to pour out vile abuses. And as it is so decreed, she must fall down dead.” Having said this, the mendicant went away.

The old woman circulated the news in the village. As those days were days of strong beliefs, the villagers collected together all the boys and girls and backed them up secretly to attack Holika when pointed out. The plan worked excellently well and Holika died. The children joined together and cremated her body. This event is supposed to have happened on the full-moon day of the white-half of Phalguna, corresponding to the latter half of the month of March. And the Holi feast of the Hindus originates from this legend.

In Madras the Mahrattas and Lalas—mostly non-Brahmans—observe this feast with all sorts of hideousness. The Brahmans—Mahrattas—celebrate it by a feast. In other parts of India all castes more or less observe