Holi is celebrated over two days. On the evening of Phalguna Purnima, communities light the Holika Dahan bonfire; the next day is Holi, also called Dhulandi or Rangwali Holi, the festival of colours.

The story behind Holika Dahan

In the Puranic account, the young Prahlad remained devoted to Vishnu despite the opposition of his father, the king Hiranyakashipu. The king's sister Holika, said to be protected from fire, sat with Prahlad in a blaze; according to the story, Prahlad was unharmed while Holika was consumed. The bonfire is traditionally understood as a celebration of devotion and of good prevailing over ill intent. Many families also offer new grain to the fire and circle it in prayer.

The timing rule

Holika Dahan is performed on Phalguna Purnima, in Pradosh Kaal, the period from sunset to one fifth of the night. Two conditions are applied:

  • Purnima should prevail during Pradosh; if it does on two evenings, the evening with the larger overlap is chosen.
  • The time should be free of Bhadra (Vishti karana), which is traditionally avoided for this rite. See Bhadra for what Bhadra is.

When Bhadra overlaps only part of Pradosh, the Bhadra-free portion is shown as the recommended window.

When Bhadra covers Pradosh

Some years, Bhadra runs through the whole of Pradosh on Purnima evening. Panchangs handle this in different ways:

  1. Many permit the bonfire during Bhadra Puchha, the tail portion of Bhadra that is traditionally considered acceptable.
  2. Others recommend waiting until after Bhadra ends, while Purnima is still running.

On this platform, if Bhadra covers all of Pradosh, the window shown begins when Bhadra ends and runs until Purnima ends, but not beyond midnight (Nishita) of that night. Local customs can differ here, so it is best to follow the guidance of your local temple or Panchang.

Holi, the next day

The day after Holika Dahan is Holi, when people play with colours, visit friends and share festive food. On this platform Holi is always shown as the day following the Holika Dahan date. Regional celebrations, from Braj to Bengal's Dol Purnima, have their own customs and sometimes their own calendar rules. Traditions may vary by region and Panchang convention.

See the date and Bhadra-free timings for your city on the Holika Dahan page.