Festival of Colours being Celebrated Today in the Shadow of Middle East Tensions

Fagu Purnima, popularly known as the festival of Holi, is being observed in the capital and hill districts of Nepal today (Monday) with subdued celebrations amid escalating US-Israeli attacks on Iran and the upcoming parliamentary elections slated for March 5.

Panic has gripped the Nepali community after one of its citizens was confirmed dead in Iranian retaliatory strikes on a US base in the UAE, stoking fears that the conflict could escalate into a nuclear war.

While political parties busy with the election, mostly children are seen celebrating the festival amid tight security for the House of representatives election three days later.

This festival is also known as the festival of colours as people smear colours to each other and throw water balloons to celebrate the arrival of the spring season.

The festival begins on the eighth day of the new moon in the month of Falgun (mid-February to mid-March) as per the lunar calendar and ends on the full moon day today with the burning of the 'Chir', a tuft of colourful strips of cloth tied to the top end of a ritualistic pole, installed on the first day of the festival.    

According to the Hindu mythology, demon king Hiranyakashyapu, who was unhappy with his son Prahlad for his wholehearted devotion to Lord Vishnu, ordered his sister Holika to kill Prahalad. Following her brother's instruction, Holika, who had a boon from the God of Creation – Lord Brahma – that fire would not harm her, sat on a pyre with Prahlad on her lap. But she was herself burnt to death while Prahalad remained unhurt due to the blessing of Lord Vishnu, the protector of the world.    

From then onwards, the festival is also known as Holi and is celebrated by smearing colour with enjoyment. It is believed that Lord Vishnu had warned Holika that the boon she had received would be meaningless if she misused it. 

The government has declared a public holiday in the hill and mountainous regions to mark the occasion. In the Tarai region, the festival is observed a day after the full moon day, meaning Holi will be celebrated there on Tuesday. A separate public holiday has been declared for Tuesday in the Tarai districts.

However, the festive spirit this year has been overshadowed by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, which has sparked fears for the safety of over 1.7 million Nepali migrant workers in the region and triggered panic buying and hoarding of essential commodities in Nepal.

A large number of people were seen on queue at fuel stations on Sunday, anxious to stockpile fuel due to fears that the prices of petroleum products might rise sharply amid concerns that a prolonged war could disrupt global oil supplies and drive up inflation.