Mathura, 01 March

(HS): In line with a centuries-old custom, a kid dressed as Prahlad will walk

through a flaming Holika pyre in Phalen village. The yearly custom in Phalen

village, approximately 50 kilometers from the district capital, would be

carried out on Holika Dahan at around 4 a.m. on March 3, according to local

panchayat members on Sunday. They stated the Holika-Dahan will take place

before the moon eclipse's sutak time (an unlucky period in Hindu mythology),

which begins at 6.20 a.m. The Phalen hamlet is well-known for a story in which

a local panda, a Brahmin boy, emerges uninjured from the roaring Holika flames,

which believers ascribe to Bhakt Prahlad's blessing.

According to Hindu legend, Prahlad survived when

his aunt, who was impervious to fire, tried to burn him to death. Beginning

with Magh Purnima, the selected youngster maintains strict celibacy by dwelling

at Prahlad Temple, sleeping on the ground, and subsisting on fruits and milk

while conducting daily spiritual rituals. On the night of Holika Dahan, he

bathes in adjacent Prahlad Kund and walks approaches the towering bonfire,

dressed only in one garment. According to residents, his sister splashes water

along his path as he walks bravely through flames. On the other side, his guru

greets him and leads him to the shrine, as lakhs of devotees and tourists from

India and beyond watch silently or shout Bhakt Prahlad ki jai.

According to village leader Kailash Chaudhary,

members of the Brahmin community in Phalen determine whose family's youth would

take on the task each year. Sanju Panda, Sushil Panda's son, has completed the

practice in prior years and will continue the month-long pledge this year. Previously,

his father and forefathers, including Indrajit Panda, had upheld the custom. The

local community supports the family throughout the year by sharing their crops

to help them with their livelihood, according to authorities. During the fair,

the panchayat attendees decided to play exclusively traditional instruments

including dhol, nagara, and tasha.

Hindusthan Samachar / Abhishek Awasthi