Whom do we pray on Holika Dahana?
Assessing the folk tale of Prahlad escaping unscathed from Holika? Whom are we worshipping during Holika Dahanam? Posting the English version first. The translation in Hindi will follow soon. Holi is a Vedic festival. However, the most famous lore associated with Holi is that Hiranyakashipu, the son of Kashyapa and Diti, wanted to kill his son Prahlada for his devotion to Bhagawan Vishnu. So he asked his sister, Holika, who was blessed by Brahma to not have any impact of Agni, to carry Prahalada. She eventually lost her boon and died. Prahalad escaped unscathed. Thus, the Holika Dahanam represents the burning of Holika. Often, this story is claimed to have originated from the Vishnu Purana and the Bhaagavatapuraana. However, this claim is not true. In fact, there is no such sister named Holika of Hiranyakashipu. As per Agnipuraana and Matsyapuraana, Hiranyakashipu was the son of Kashyapa and the daughter of Prajapati Daksha, Diti. His brother was Hiranyaksha, who was killed by th...