Holika Dahan

How the date is fixed

Holika Dahan falls on the full-moon day (Purnima) of the lunar month Phalguna. The date is the day on which that tithi is running at pradosh, the twilight just after sunset. Bhadra (Vishti karana) is avoided. When Bhadra covers the whole evening and lasts past the middle of the night, almanacs differ on the day; this page still shows the day whose pradosh holds the tithi†.

† Practice varies between schools; our faculty is reviewing these rules.

About

Holika Dahan is kept on the evening of Phalguna Purnima, the last full moon of the lunar year. The fire is lit during pradosh, the period after sunset, while Purnima is running and the Bhadra (Vishti) karana is not. Because the first half of Purnima is always Bhadra, panchangs often print a narrow window, and when Bhadra runs past midnight the texts give alternative rulings that local almanacs follow. When Bhadra lasts past midnight and Purnima still runs through most of the next day, almanacs split between the two evenings; the festival page then says so, and the School's faculty is reviewing the rule. The bonfire recalls the story of Prahlada and Holika and closes the agricultural year in North India.

How it is observed

A community bonfire is lit after sunset, circled, and offered new grain; the colour play follows the next morning.