Ranga Panchami is another colorful festival of the Hindus, as the name itself suggests and is celebrated five days after the biggest colorful festival Holi.
Ranga Panchami is celebrated on the panchami or on the fifth day of the Krishna Paksha or the waxing phase of the moon is the month of Phalguna according to traditional Hindu calendar or February March according to the Gregorian calendar. In 2019 the Ranga Panchami is on March 25th, a Monday.
- What does Ranga Panchami mean?
Ranga as the name means is color and the word Panchami means the fifth day, thus the colorful fifth day is what the name of this festival signifies.
- What is the significance of Ranga Panchami?
Ranga Panchami is celebrated with the playfulness of Gulal, which is a fragrant red powder and throwing water at people. According to Hindu mythology, Ranga Panchami symbolizes a victory over the Raja and Tama, which are barriers to self realization and spiritual advancement. Thus the interplay with gulal on Ranga Panchami is a partial worship of God and its purpose according to Hindu mythology is to activate the five elements of the manifested colors and to feel and be blessed by the deities who are attracted to respective colors. Ranga Panchami thus, can be called to be the worship of the savior form of certain deities.
The Maharashtrians call this festival Shimgo or the Shimga and is particularly prevalent amongst the fishing community. The traditional Palkhi dance associated with this festival give vent to all their suppressed emotions. They celebrate it in a grand manner and people join in the festivities by singing, dancing and making merry in general.
In the temples of Vrindavan and Mathura, the celebrations of Holi culminate in the festival of Ranga Panchami.