Priests to walk on Holi bonfire tomorrow in Mathura

Hundreds of people will gather to commemorate the victory of good over evil, when two priests in villages Falen and Jatwari of the district will walk through bonfire of Holi to enact the Prahlad-Holika episode tomorrow.
Babulal Panda of village Falen and Santosh Panda of village Jatwari, in Chatta Tehsil of the district, would walk through the flames of Holi in their respective villages for the fifth time this year on March 16, officials said.
Father of Babulal Panda, Indrajit Panda had performed the feat over a dozen times.
The district administration has made elaborate safety arrangement for the ritual and also security has been beefed up in the villages.

"Security has been beefed up and every precaution has been taken for this typical Holi (bonfire) of village Falen and Jatwari," District Magistrate Vishal Chauhan said.
Fire tenders have been placed near the Holi (bonfire) and all arrangement of safety and security of the Pandas have also been ensured, he added.
On the full moon night, on the eve of Holi festival, a huge bonfire is lighted and the local priests walks through it to enact a story about Holi.
According to mythology, when Prahlada worshipped his father's enemy Lord Vishnu. His father got angry and asked his sister Holika, who was immune to being burned, to sit with his son on a bonfire. But, it is said that due to Prahlad's faith and devotion Holika burnt to death and he was left unharmed.