As Holi, the festival of colors, is near, a strange allegation in connection with the celebration has swept the public, creating mass entertainment on social media. A trending Instagram post indicates that as 2,588 years have passed, a strange astrological alignment on Holi can heal diseases, using a strange ritual.
Posted by Instagram user Vinay Singh Makwana (@vinay_singh_makwana), the image is presented in the form of a newspaper cutting, announcing that Holi this year is astrologically significant. It states that the uncommon ‘yog’ may remove diseases like loss of appetite, troubled sleep, eyeache, and drowsiness if a certain ritual is followed during Holika Dahan, the symbolic fire of Holika on the eve of Holi.
The proposed cure is both easy and silly—one has to turn their mobile phone seven times around their head prior to Holika Dahan and then ritually “burn” it in the fire. The post makes it clear, though, that this is just symbolic and the phone should not be actually flung into the fire. The claim is that by doing so, irritability and nausea will vanish within two days.
The post soon became viral, garnering more than 2 lakh likes within a week and gathering thousands of comments. Most users first thought the claim was true and even went so far as to try it out.One user admitted, “I seriously thought I had solved all my issues.” Another said, “I was reading it seriously till I realized that it was a prank!”
The playful update has amused social media followers, adding to the festive atmosphere of Holi. Despite the claim lacking scientific basis, its playfulness has made it a subject of interest, eloquently depicting the mood of the festival.
