As a child I was fascinated by the fact that this fun festival actually celebrates the victory of good over evil- Prahlad, Lord Vishnu's ardent devotee is the son of his arch hater, the arrogant King Hiranya kashyap. Since Prahlad refuses to acknowledge his fathers' supremacy over Vishnu, he is sentenced to death by burning. The King's sister Holikatakes her nephew on her lap on the pyre and is immolated herself leaving Prahladsafe. In an effort to remind ourselves that good always wins in the end, Indians found another way to interweave the onset of spring into traditional bonhomie and a spirit of...