Sati committed self-immolation after her ‘poor’ husband, Shiva was disrespected by her father. Shiva observed strict celibacy after her death. Kamadeva, the God of love, was tasked with evoking love in him for Parvati, the reincarnated Sati. He angered Shiva who burnt him to death. Moved by the request of Rati, Kama’s wife, Shiva restored him back to life in a bodiless form. Holi celebrates Kama’s rebirth.
The bonfire held a day before Holi signifies his immolation. Some names attributed to the spring festival in ancient texts like Kaamotsava and Madanotsava signify the connection with Kama. This story was more prevalent in the Central & South of India while the Holaka one was more common in North & East. This story has faded with time but in some areas of the South, it is still remembered. In some areas of rural Maharashtra, the Dhulivandan festival is part of Holi. It marks the smearing of Kama’s ashes (dhuli) to celebrate (vandan) his resurrection.
Source : Nagaraj Paturi, https://indiafacts.org/holi-kaamotsava-age-old-hindu-festival-love/

The 1890 painting is Shiva burning Kamadeva.

Garga Samhita (likely 16th cent CE) celebrates Radha Krishna as supreme deities. It also describes the Holi celebrations of the divine couple. Sometimes, Krishna is jealous of Radha’s fairness and applies colour on her and sometimes Radha is jealous of gopis surrounding Krishna. Their leela is commemorated in the many unique diverse ways that Holi is celebrated in the Braj region of Uttar Pradesh. These include Lathmar Holi where women mock beat their husbands, Phoolon wali Holi (flower Holi), Ladoo mar Holi (Holi with sweets), Dauji ka Huranga (Holi with Balarama – Dau).

The painting is 18th Century Nihal Chand of Radha Krishna playing Holi

In these regions, Holi is known as Dol Jatra or the swing festival. It is a big day for Krishna bhakts and is also celebrated as Chaitanya Mahaprabhu’s birthday. Radha & Krishna are placed in decorated palanquins and taken around the village to the accompaniment of music and spraying of water & coloured powder. But it is a more solemn celebration than normally associated with Holi. Kalidasa in ‘Raghuvamsa’ (4th cent CE) describes swing play as an essential part of spring festivities.
Source: Danielle Feller, “The Spring Festivities at the King’s Court”, essay in ‘Festivals of India’

The picture is Dol Jatra in Puri. Picture Credit Heritage Labs

Hoysala temple architecture is quite unique, different from what we see either in the North or South. The used of soft soapstone is a key reason. Their sculptures are intricately carved as if made by a jeweller. This picture is from the 12th cent CE Chennakeshava temple at Belur. The temple is a world heritage site. You can spot a Madanika (attendant) filling her pichkari while the other gets her a vessel of water. Quite familiar.
Source: https://www.theheritagelab.in/20-holi-pictures/

Nicolo Conti was a Venetian merchant who travelled for 25 years in Asia. He came to Hampi around 1420 CE and described a three-day celebration where people, including royalty, were splashed with water mixed with saffron. The royals discomfiture was met with laughter. It was a time of general merriment. There are a few sculptures at Hampi depicting these Holi like celebrations. The image attached is of a panel where you can see the royal couple in the centre, sprayed with water from pichkaris by the dancer-girls. The couple if trying to take cover. An endearing depiction.
Source: https://www.theheritagelab.in/20-holi-pictures/

Holi was a favorite of many Muslim poets & singers. Amir Khusrau (13th cent CE) wrote, “Mere Khwaja ke ghar rang hai ri” (My Lord’s house is full of colours). Bulleh Shah (18th cent CE) sang, “Holi kheloongi keh kar bismillah” (I will play Holi after saying Bismillah). Bahadur Shah Zafar wrote a flirtatious ode to Holi that can find a place in a Bollywood film, “Kyun mope maari rang ki pichkaari, dekh kunwarji dungi gaari” (Why did you throw colours on me, my dear I will abuse you)

Picture Credit: Heritage Labs, Late mughal period Holi Celebration painting

Shabara’s bhasya (early centuries CE) is a serious work on Jaimini’s Mimansa, an early philosophical system that predates Buddha. In it, someone raises an objection that the festival of Holaka is to be celebrated by easterners alone. Shabara then answers that the festival is to be celebrated by all ‘Aryas’. This indicates that at some point of time, the festival of Holi was widely prevalent in eastern India and was not so common in the other parts of the country. Today, Holi is widely considered a North & Central Indian festival.

Picture Credit: Heritage Labs, Late 19th century painting of Holi in Murshidabad

Kamasutra (400BCE – 300CE) is an ancient text focused on one of the four purusharthas (goals) of life – kama or desire/pleasure. It describes a spring festival (vasantotsava) involving
‘udaka-ksvedika’ (literally “sprinkling water”). Jayamangala’s commentary on the Kamasutra explains that Holaka is the festival on the Phalguna full-moon day during which people colour each-other by spraying coloured water, prepared with flowers like Butea (kimshuka or palasha), using water-syringes and throw coloured powder on each other. They indulge in Srnga Krida which means “play with water-syringes or horns” (picchkari). A similar name ‘sechanakride’ is used for Holi like celebration depicted in a 12th cent CE temple in Karnataka.

Picture Credit: Heritage Labs, 18th Century Radha Krishna

Maharashtri was a refined literary dialect of Prakrit and a standard for lyrical poetry in ancient India. Marathi evolved from it. Gaha Sattasai provides practical compilation of love stories as untidy reality of life. It describes Holi like celebrations. A verse talks of a woman , “holding coloured powder in her fist and thinking I would throw it on my beloved, she was (so) anxious with joy that the powder turned into coloured water in her hand (due to sweat).” Another verse tells the heroine who has been splattered with mud: “Somebody (your lover) adorned you with mud, which is acceptable during the Phalguna festival.”

Picture Credit: Heritage Labs, 19th Century painting of Maratha Chieftan celebrating Holi

Emperor Harshavardhana of Thanesar wrote three plays under the title Sri Harsha. Ratnavali was performed during ‘Vasantotsava’. His description of the spring festivities wont be out of place even today, “Citizens are dancing at the touch of water from syringes. The openings of the road all round are singing with the swelling music of wild songs, and all the quarters are rendered yellowish red with a mass of fragrant powder scattered about”. Other Sanskrit writers also refer to spring festivities. Dandin (6th-7th cent CE) in his ‘Dashakumaracharita’ also describes Holikotsav being played with colours.
Source: Danielle Feller, “The Spring Festivities at the King’s Court”, essay in ‘Festivals of India’

The picture is an AI rendering of the description in Ratnavali

Today, we think Holi is a festival for the masses. But it started life as a royal ceremony. The Atharva Veda’s reference to Holaka is in the section on ‘calendar of royal ceremonies’. Emperor Harsha described it in his play 7th cent CE. The 11th cent CE story collections, Kathasaritasagar and Vikramcharita highlight the role of kings in Vasantotsava celebrations. The Vijayanagara king were at the centre of spring festivities. The Mughals adopted this custom and called Holi, Eid-e-gulaabi or Aab-e-paashi (shower of colourful flowers). Jahangir describes it in his autobiography. There are many Mughal & Rajput paintings depicting royal Holi festivities. The Wikimedia image is of a painting showing Jahangir playing Holi.

Wikimedia Image of Holi in Jahangir’s court

Popular lore suggests that Holi comes from the Puranic story of Holika & Prahlad. It is probably derived from the Sanskrit ‘holaka’ from the root ‘hu’ – to offer. The word ‘ahuti’ or offering is a derivative of this.
Holaka means “that which receives oblations,” referring to the Holi bonfire. It is mentioned in an appendix or ‘parishista’ of Atharva Veda. Charaka Samhita says that Holaka–svedu is the technique used to sweat confirming the meaning of bonfire.
There are several other references to Holi celebrations. Sayana’s commentary on Taittirya Aranyaka refers to Gods colouring their clothes in spring. Mahavratya is a solemn ritual which involves women singing and dancing with water pitchers around a fire. Kathaka Grihya Sutra says during Holaka married women worship the full moon Raka in Phalguna month for welfare of their families. Many consider Holi to be non-Vedic in origin, but its key features are all alluded to in Vedic literature.

Picture Credit: Sara Welch, Wikimedia, Prahalada and Holaka