What is the story behind the Hindu practice of the holika dahan?

Holika dahan is a fun filled activity to do with the family, but the story behind the festival is filled with teachings.

The story begins with the demon Hiranyakashyapu, who goes to do penance for years and years in order to be granted a wish. When Lord Bhrama finally appeared to him, he asked: "I wish to be immortal." Bhrama, however, was unable to grant immortality to anyone, and therefore refused to grant this wish. 

Hiranyakashyapu thought for a moment before asking for another wish. "I wish to be unkillable during the day and at night, inside and outside, by weapon, by human or by animal."

Bhrama, though displeased at thiss choice, granted the wish.

While Hiranyakashyapu had been doing penance, his wife and son, Prahlad, had been placed in the care of the sage Narada. 

Narada was a great devotee of lord Vishnu, and therefore sang many bhajans and did many mantras in praise of him. Due to this, the young Prahlad grew up as a devotee of Vishnu too. 

When Hiranyakashyapu returned with his wife and son to the land of the demons, he was furious hearing Lord Vishnu's name from his young son's mouth. He believed that he was the one and only person people should worship, and that he was the most powerful being in the land.

Hiranyakashyapu tried many persuasive methods to try and convince Prahlad to stop worshipping Vishnu, yet Prahlad would not listen. His father sent him off to a school, hoping that his peers would change his mindset, but instead he changed the mindset of his peers and made them all Vishnu worshippers too. 

Hiranyakashapu was angry, and willing to try anything. He attempted to have him stampeded with elephants, but when checking on Prahlad after the stampede, he was unharmed and was chanting Lord Vishnu's Name. 

He threw Prahlad in a pit filled with poisonous cobras, yet when they went to check on him, the cobras had turned to garlands of flower and Prahlad was sitting in the middle of the pit, chanting Lord Vishnu's name.

Finally, Hiranyakashyapu's sister Holika approached him and explained how she had a shawl that would prevent the wearer from being burnt in fire. She asked him to place Prahlad in her lap, and light a bonfire around them so that she, wearing the shawl would remain unharmed while Prahlad would burn. Yet when they were in the bonfire, a great gust of wind blew the shawl from Holika's head over to Prahlad's. He survived.

Hiranyakashyapu had finally had enough. He heated a metal pillar to make it red hot, and yelled at Prahlad, asking if his Vishnu was truly everywhere. When Prahlad said yes, and made to hug the pillar, a great beast, half lion and half man, sprung from the pillar. He dragged Prahlad's father over the the stair at the front of the house, where the sun was just setting, and ripped him apart with his Bare hands.

 

Holika Dahan is a recreation of the bonfire Prahlad survived, and is a symbol of devotion, faith and how good prevails over evil.