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 : 28^th February,Tuesday.