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Ancient India

Holi - Festival of Colors

Holi - Festival of Colors
Reading Level
     edHelper's suggested reading level:   grades 5 to 7
     Flesch-Kincaid grade level:   6.13

Vocabulary
     challenging words:    all-time, invincible, passersby, signify, follower, origin, passion, burning, colored, outdoor, various, social, refused, version, demon, celebrate

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Holi - Festival of Colors
By Vickie Chao 		  
1     Every March, people in India celebrate Holi for at least two days. Holi is also called the Festival of Colors. It is a religious holiday for the faith of Hindu.
 
2     On the days of Holi, people in India party together. They build bonfires on the roads. They throw colored powders at each other. They spray colored water at each other. It is a lot of fun!
 
3     Why do people in India celebrate Holi? Nobody knows for sure, as there are different stories about the holiday's origin. Of the various versions, the fight between Vishnu and Hiranyakshipu may be the most famous.
 
4     Vishnu is a good god. Hiranyakashipu is a demon king. The two never liked each other. Then things got even worse after Vishnu killed Hiranyakashipu's younger brother in a battle. Hiranyakashipu was very upset. He vowed to avenge the death of his younger brother. To reach this goal, he meditated in a mountain for several years so he could gain magical powers. At last, his hard work paid off. The god of creation, Brahma, appeared before him. He said, "Hiranyakashipu, I am touched by your passion. Now, tell me what you are praying for."
 
5     Hiranyakashipu replied, "Great Lord, my prayer is about the way I shall die. I wish not to be killed by any creature made by you. I wish not to be killed either indoor or outdoor. I wish not to be killed either during the day or at night. I wish not to be killed by any weapon. I wish not to be killed either on earth or in heavens. Please grant me those wishes." Brahma agreed. He granted Hiranyakashipu those wishes.

Paragraphs 6 to 12:
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