Phulera Dooj
Phulera Dooj is one
of the iconic festivals that is celebrated in the honour of Lord Krishna with
great enthusiasm and fervour in the northern states of India. It is observed on
the ‘Dwitiya’ (2nd day) of the Shukla Paksha (bright fortnight of moon) during
the Hindu month of Phalgun or during the months of February-March as per the
Gregorian calendar. ‘Phulera’ come from a Hindi word ‘phul’ meaning flowers. On
the day of Phulera Dooj people play with flower and hope that the vibrant
colors of Holi brings happiness in the life of all.
The
festival of Phulera Dooj comes between the celebrations of ‘Vasant Panchami’
and the colourful festival of ‘Holi’. For this reason, most of the rituals of
Phulera Dooj is associated with the festival of Holi. The appropriate timing of
Phulera Dooj gives devotees a glance of the special ‘darshan’ in which Lord
Krishna is getting ready for the upcoming Holi festival. It can be witnessed in
all temples of Lord Krishna, especially the ones in Mathura and Vrindavan and
some regions of North India. Special rituals are organised on these temples on
the day of Phulera Dooj. The idols of Lord Krishna is also smeared with slight
colors, to mark the arrival of the Holi celebrations.
Significance of Phulera Dooj:
In
North India, most of weddings commence on this special day. If a person plans
to start a new business venture, there could be no better day than Phulera
Dooj. To sum up it can be said that the festival of Phulera Dooj, symbolises
how Lord Krishna gives back all the affection and love that He received from
His devotees.
Celebrations during Phulera Dooj:
- The festival
of Phulera Dooj is dedicated to Lord Krishna and mainly observed in North
India. Devotees worship Lord Krishna with full devotion and seek His
blessing to live a life of prosperity and happiness. On this day people
beautifully adorn the idols of Lord Krishna in their homes. On this day
there is a ritual of playing Holi with flowers with their deity.
- In almost all
the temples of Lord Krishna, especially in Braj region where the Lord
spent most of His lifetime, special events are organized on the sacred day
of Phulera Dooj. The temples are beautifully decorated and thronged with
devotees from far and wide. The idol of the Sri Krishna is adorned in a
white garba and seated under a colourful and floral creeper decorated
mandap. A piece of cloth with gulal is also tied on the waist of the deity
to denote Him preparing for Holi. The color is removed after the ‘Shayan
Bhog’ at night. Such beautiful representation of Lord Krishna is
spectacular sight to be watched.
- Special ‘Bhog’
is prepared on this day that includes ‘Pohas’ and other special recipes.
After being offered to Lord Krishna this ‘Bhog’ is distributed as ‘Prasad’
among the devotees. ‘Sandhya Aarti’ and ‘Samaj mein rasiya’ are the prime
rituals of the day.
- The devotees
of Lord Krishna can also participate in the religious events held in the
temples. They spend the day singing ‘bhajans’ (devotional songs) in the
praise of Lord Krishna. Some colors are also applied on the idols of Lord
Krishna as a sign of welcoming Holi. At the end of the event, the priests
in the temple sprinkle color or ‘gulal’ on all the devotees assembled at
the temple. These celebrations are worth-watching, especially in Mathura
and Vrindavan temples.
2017 Date : 28th February,Tuesday.
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