Ranga Panchami () is a

Hindu Hindus (; ; also known as Sanātanīs) are people who religiously adhere to Hinduism, also known by its endonym Sanātana Dharma. Jeffery D. Long (2007), A Vision for Hinduism, IB Tauris, , pp. 35–37 Historically, the term has also be ...

festival celebrated on Phalguna Krishna Paksha

Panchami Panchami () is the fifth day ( tithi) of the fortnight (paksha) in the Hindu lunar calendar. Festivals * Naga Panchami is a Hindu festival celebrated by Hindus in most parts of India. It is celebrated in the Shravana month. On this day, adhere ...

, which is the fifth day of the second fortnight of the Hindu month of Phalguna. It is marked on the fifth day following the festival of

Holi Holi () is a major Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours, Love and Spring.The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) p. 874 "Holi /'həʊli:/ noun a Hindu spring festival ...".Yudit Greenberg, Encyclopedia of Love in World ...

. During Ranga Panchami, people sprinkle or smear colored powder on each other, similar to Holi. However, unlike Holi, on Ranga Panchami, people also splash colored water on each other. The festival is believed to have originated in

Maharashtra Maharashtra () is a state in the western peninsular region of India occupying a substantial portion of the Deccan Plateau. It is bordered by the Arabian Sea to the west, the Indian states of Karnataka and Goa to the south, Telangana to th ...

and is also known as Shimga. In some places, people make small processions carrying an image of a deity, and the procession ends with the immersion of the deity in a nearby river or pond. Ranga Panchami is a popular festival in

Madhya Pradesh Madhya Pradesh (; ; ) is a state in central India. Its capital is Bhopal and the largest city is Indore, Indore. Other major cities includes Gwalior, Jabalpur, and Sagar, Madhya Pradesh, Sagar. Madhya Pradesh is the List of states and union te ...

, Maharashtra, and

Karnataka Karnataka ( ) is a States and union territories of India, state in the southwestern region of India. It was Unification of Karnataka, formed as Mysore State on 1 November 1956, with the passage of the States Reorganisation Act, 1956, States Re ...

Etymology

The word "ranga" means colour, and "panchami" refers to the fifth day in the Hindu month.

Description

Ranga Panchami is celebrated as a festival of love and colour, associated with the divine couple

Radha Krishna Radha-Krishna (IAST , ) is the combined form of the Hindu god Krishna with his chief consort and ''shakti'' Radha. They are regarded as the feminine as well as the masculine realities of God and gender in Hinduism, God, in several Krishnaism, Kr ...

. According to another legend it shares with Holi, it is regarded to mark the event of the salvation of

Prahlada Prahlada () is an asura king in Hindu scriptures. He is known for his staunch devotion to the preserver deity, Vishnu. He appears in the narrative of Narasimha, the lion avatara of Vishnu, who rescues Prahlada by disimboweling and killing hi ...

from a bonfire lit by his aunt

Holika Holika (, ), also known as Simhika, is an asuri in Hinduism. She is the sister of the asura-kings Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, and the paternal aunt of Prahlada. The legend of '' Holika Dahan'' (Holika's burning) signifies the triumph o ...

, the sister of the

asura Asuras () are a class of beings in Indian religions, and later Persian and Turkic mythology. They are described as power-seeking beings related to the more benevolent Devas (also known as Suras) in Hinduism. In its Buddhist context, the wor ...

king

Hiranyakashipu Hiranyakashipu (, ), also known as Hiranyakashyap, was a daitya king of the asuras in the Puranas. In Hinduism, Hiranyakashipu's younger brother, Hiranyaksha, was slain by the Varaha (boar) avatar of Vishnu. Angered by this, Hiranyakashipu ...

References

Hindu festivals Holi March observances Religious festivals in India {{Hindu festivals

Etymology

Description

See also

References