Many years ago, there lived an evil king called Hiranyakashyapu. To satisfy his thirst for power and try to become invincible, Hiranyakashyapu prayed hard, and carried out severe penance till Lord Brahma appeared before him. Hiranyakashyapu asked to be made immortal, but Lord Brahma said he could not grant him that wish. He told Hiranyakashyapu to ask for something else. So Hiranyakashyapu listed the ways he did not wish to be killed: 

• By beast, man, or God
• By any weapon, weather made by god or man
• Outdoors or indoors
• At night or during the day
• In the air, on the sea or on the land.

When his wishes were granted, Hiranyakashyapu thought he was all powerful and invincible. In fact, he thought he was more powerful than God. Therefore, he stopped his subjects from worshipping any God. Instead, they were forced to worship him. He came to be hated and feared on earth and even the heavens. He managed to defeat even Lord Indra, and proclaimed himself up as the ruler of the three worlds: earth, heaven and the underworld.

The king’s subjects were forced to obey him, but the only one who would not worship him was his own Prahalad. He would pray only to Lord Vishnu. Hiranyakashyapu tried to plead, and then command his son, but Prahalad would not listen. He was an ardent devotee of Lord Vishnu, and would not worship anyone else. The king was enraged, and finally, passed the death sentence on his own son. Prahalad was thrown into a snake pit, but the lord saved him. The king ordered that Prahalad should be thrown off a cliff, but again lord Vishnu saved him. No matter what happened, Prahalad kept chanting the name of lord Vishnu’s and remained unhurt.

When all efforts failed, king Hiranyakashyapu asked his sister Holika had a magical cloth, which when she wore it, even fire could not hurt her. They planned that she would wear the cloth, and sit in the middle of a huge fire, with Prahalad on her lap. The fire would not touch her, since she would have the cloth wrapped around her. Prahalad would definitely be burnt alive. This plan was carried out, and she sat in the middle of a fire, holding Prahalad. But a strange thing happened! Suddenly, a strong wind started blowing, and the cloth was blown away. Prahalad sat in the middle of the flames, calmly reciting the name of lord Vishnu. The cloth that had blown away landed on him, and covered his body. While Holika was burnt to ashes, Prahalad was untouched by the fire.

It is the victory of good over evil which is celebrated by lighting bonfires the night before Holi.