By Bhagwan Prasad Gaur, Udaipur
Udaipur, March 2 (Udaipur Kiran): As Holi approaches, the festival once again brings colours, joy and celebration to the streets. But beyond the vibrant gulal and cheerful gatherings, it also raises a deeper question — will we only play with colours this year, or will we also burn the layers of fear, corruption, ill intent and ignorance within us?
Holi returns every year with brightness and excitement. Faces glow with colours and smiles, and for a few hours life feels lighter. However, if this lightness remains only on the surface, Holi becomes a ritual rather than a transformation. The true spirit of Holi lies in allowing colours to touch the mind and conscience.
Holika Dahan is not merely about lighting a bonfire of wood. It symbolises the end of evil, suffering, immorality and wrongdoing. Yet the real question today is not whether the fire was lit, but what truly burned in that fire.
In present times, wrongdoing does not always create noise or openly challenge society. It quietly blends into systems. Earlier, theft meant breaking locks; today it can happen from within the system itself. Rumours once spread in village gatherings; now they travel instantly through screens.
Holi, therefore, asks difficult questions. Have we burned our inner fears? Have we only criticised corruption in words, or have we removed it from our own conduct? Have we truly surrendered ill intent and ignorance to the flames?
Crime today does not exist only in legal sections. It grows in silence — when injustice is seen but ignored, when lies are known yet unchallenged, and when wrongdoing is normalised with the excuse that “everyone does it.” Such actions may not face legal cases, but they hollow out the soul of society.
The fire of Holi symbolises burning this silence. It asks whether truth was avoided because it was uncomfortable. It questions whether ignorance was accepted as a shield instead of being challenged with knowledge.
There is no shortage of colours in society today. The shortage is of sensitivity. Crowds are increasing, but relationships are shrinking. Every hand holds a mobile phone, yet patience to truly see the person standing nearby is fading. Sorrow becomes news, and news becomes just another scroll. Holi reminds us that colours should not only be on faces but also in our vision — colours of compassion, dialogue and responsibility.
One of the most dangerous ideas of our time is that results matter, no matter the method. This mindset strengthens corruption and ill intent. Holi stands against this thinking and teaches that if the means are impure, the outcome too will be tainted. Just as colour applied with unclean hands never appears beautiful.
This Holi calls not just for celebration, but for reflection. It urges us to burn fear, reduce arrogance and challenge ignorance with awareness. The true courage of Holi lies not in colouring others, but in changing oneself — in recognising the small ‘Holika’ within that survives on greed, fear and ill intent.
Until that inner Holika is burnt, the outer bonfire remains only a flame of wood. Holi becomes meaningful when it makes us smile and at the same time ask — have we only lit the fire, or have we also removed the darkness within?
If this festival helps us become slightly less fearful, less selfish and more responsible citizens, then Holi will truly find its purpose.
Bhupendra Singh Chundawat is a seasoned technology journalist with over 22 years of experience in the media industry. He specializes in covering the global technology landscape, with a deep focus on manufacturing trends and the geopolitical impact on tech companies. Currently serving as the Editor at Udaipur Kiran, his insights are shaped by decades of hands-on reporting and editorial leadership in the fast-evolving world of technology.
