Holi is one of the most anticipated Indian festivals, and it's celebrated as the winter season recedes and spring begins in the sub-continent. Primarily, Holi is a festival of colours when children and adults smear gulal on each other and seek the blessings of their elders. It's a two-day festival. A day before playing with colours and relishing delicious food, people mark Holika Dahan. On this day, people light the symbolic bonfire, which is said to kill all evil around them.
Date
Holi is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Phalgun, which usually falls in February-March according to the Gregorian calendar. This year, Holi will be celebrated on March 18, and Holika Dahan will be observed on the evening of March 17.
Tithi and Muhurta
According to Drikpanchang, Purnima Tithi begins at 1:29 PM on March 17 and ends at 12:47 PM on March 18.
Holika Dahan Muhurta is between 9:06 PM and 10:16 PM on March 17.
History and Significance
Hiranyakashipu desired that people worship him, but his own son, Prahlad, preferred to worship Lord Vishnu. So, an offended Hiranyakashipu decided to punish his son. He asked his sister Holika, who was immune to fire, to sit with Prahlad in the fire. When she did, the flames killed Holika but left Prahlad unharmed. Lord Vishnu then assumed the form of Narasimha and killed Hiranyakashipu. Holika Dahan is the name given to this Holika occurrence.
Holi is also a celebration of the divine love between Lord Krishna and Radha. So, an elaborate Holi is played in Mathura and Vrindavan.
