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Cosmic Geomancy
Festival · Phalgun Purnima

Holika Dahan 2027

होलिका दहन

Sunday 21 March 2027 · in 141 days

VishnuFestivalAll India

Holika Dahan is the bonfire night of Phalguna Purnima, the evening before the colours of Holi. Families gather around the fire to remember how Prahlada's faith carried him safely through the flames.

Holika Dahan muhurat6:32 PM to 8:54 PM

Pradosh kaal on Purnima; Bhadra lasts past midnight, so the evening keeps it. Purnima runs from 6:22 PM on 21 Mar to 4:14 PM on 22 Mar.

Delhi · times in IST

Holi

21 to 22 Mar
  1. 21 MarHolika Dahan6:32 PM to 8:54 PM
  2. 22 MarHoliColours

Pujas for Holika Dahan, in order

Vishnu Puja

विष्णु पूजाBefore the bonfire, in the Holika Dahan window

Vishnu is remembered through Prahlada, whose devotion the bonfire honours.

You will need
  • Vishnu idol or Shaligram
  • Tulsi leaves
  • Yellow flowers
  • Panchamrit
  • Ghee diya
  • Incense
Steps
  1. Bathe the idol or Shaligram with panchamrit.
  2. Offer tulsi leaves and yellow flowers.
  3. Chant the mantra 108 times.
  4. Sing the aarti.
Mantraॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवायom namo bhagavate vasudevaya
Aarti: Om Jai Jagdish Hare

ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट, क्षण में दूर करे॥

जो ध्यावे फल पावे, दुःख बिनसे मन का, स्वामी दुःख बिनसे मन का।
सुख सम्पत्ति घर आवे, कष्ट मिटे तन का॥

मात पिता तुम मेरे, शरण गहूं मैं किसकी, स्वामी शरण गहूं मैं किसकी।
तुम बिन और न दूजा, आस करूं मैं जिसकी॥

तुम पूरण परमात्मा, तुम अन्तर्यामी, स्वामी तुम अन्तर्यामी।
पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर, तुम सब के स्वामी॥

तुम करुणा के सागर, तुम पालनकर्ता, स्वामी तुम पालनकर्ता।
मैं सेवक तुम स्वामी, कृपा करो भर्ता॥

तुम हो एक अगोचर, सबके प्राणपति, स्वामी सबके प्राणपति।
किस विधि मिलूं दयामय, तुमको मैं कुमति॥

दीन बन्धु दुःख हर्ता, ठाकुर तुम मेरे, स्वामी रक्षक तुम मेरे।
अपने हाथ उठाओ, अपने शरण लगाओ, द्वार पड़ा तेरे॥

विषय विकार मिटाओ, पाप हरो देवा, स्वामी पाप हरो देवा।
श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ, सन्तन की सेवा॥

Add your own deity

Many families also worship their own deity on a festival day. Each one opens a full guide with steps, mantra and aarti.

Vishnu Puja

विष्णु पूजाBefore the bonfire, in the Holika Dahan window

Vishnu is remembered through Prahlada, whose devotion the bonfire honours.

You will need
  • Vishnu idol or Shaligram
  • Tulsi leaves
  • Yellow flowers
  • Panchamrit
  • Ghee diya
  • Incense
Steps
  1. Bathe the idol or Shaligram with panchamrit.
  2. Offer tulsi leaves and yellow flowers.
  3. Chant the mantra 108 times.
  4. Sing the aarti.
Mantraॐ नमो भगवते वासुदेवायom namo bhagavate vasudevaya
Aarti: Om Jai Jagdish Hare

ॐ जय जगदीश हरे, स्वामी जय जगदीश हरे।
भक्त जनों के संकट, दास जनों के संकट, क्षण में दूर करे॥

जो ध्यावे फल पावे, दुःख बिनसे मन का, स्वामी दुःख बिनसे मन का।
सुख सम्पत्ति घर आवे, कष्ट मिटे तन का॥

मात पिता तुम मेरे, शरण गहूं मैं किसकी, स्वामी शरण गहूं मैं किसकी।
तुम बिन और न दूजा, आस करूं मैं जिसकी॥

तुम पूरण परमात्मा, तुम अन्तर्यामी, स्वामी तुम अन्तर्यामी।
पारब्रह्म परमेश्वर, तुम सब के स्वामी॥

तुम करुणा के सागर, तुम पालनकर्ता, स्वामी तुम पालनकर्ता।
मैं सेवक तुम स्वामी, कृपा करो भर्ता॥

तुम हो एक अगोचर, सबके प्राणपति, स्वामी सबके प्राणपति।
किस विधि मिलूं दयामय, तुमको मैं कुमति॥

दीन बन्धु दुःख हर्ता, ठाकुर तुम मेरे, स्वामी रक्षक तुम मेरे।
अपने हाथ उठाओ, अपने शरण लगाओ, द्वार पड़ा तेरे॥

विषय विकार मिटाओ, पाप हरो देवा, स्वामी पाप हरो देवा।
श्रद्धा भक्ति बढ़ाओ, सन्तन की सेवा॥

Add your own deity

Many families also worship their own deity on a festival day. Each one opens a full guide with steps, mantra and aarti.

Other mantras for the day

  • ॐ क्ष्रौं नमो नरसिंहाय om kshraum namo narasimhaya
  • क्लीं कृष्णाय गोविन्दाय गोपीजनवल्लभाय स्वाहा kleem krishnaya govindaya gopijanavallabhaya svaha

Holika Dahan 2027: date and timings

Date
Sunday 21 March 2027
Tithi
Phalgun Purnima
Purnima begins
6:22 PM, 21 March
Purnima ends
4:14 PM, 22 March
Holika Dahan muhurat
6:32 PM to 8:54 PM
Sunrise
6:24 AM
Sunset
6:32 PM

The days

  1. Sunday 21 March 2027Holika Dahan
  2. Monday 22 March 2027Holi (colours)

Times for New Delhi (IST). Use the city button above for your own city.

Other years

Holika Dahan 2026: date and timings

Date
Tuesday 3 March 2026
Tithi
Phalgun Purnima
Purnima begins
5:56 PM, 2 March
Purnima ends
5:08 PM, 3 March
Holika Dahan muhurat
6:22 PM to 8:50 PM
Sunrise
6:44 AM
Sunset
6:22 PM

How to observe

  1. Worship the pyre before it is lit, with water, roli, rice, flowers and a raw cotton thread wound around it.
  2. Light the fire after sunset, in the muhurat free of Bhadra.
  3. Walk around the fire with family, usually three or seven times.
  4. Offer ears of new wheat and barley, a coconut, gram and sweets into the flames.
  5. Share the roasted grain as prasad and get ready for the colours next morning.

For your chart

Add your birth details to see whether Holika Dahan lines up with your birth nakshatra or tithi.

Coming up after Holika Dahan

About Holika Dahan

The story behind the fire is of Prahlada, a boy devoted to Lord Vishnu, and his father Hiranyakashipu, a king who wanted to be worshipped as god himself. When nothing could turn Prahlada away from Vishnu, the king asked his sister Holika for help. Holika was believed to be protected from fire, and she sat in a blazing pyre with the child in her lap. The fire took Holika, and Prahlada came out unharmed. The bonfire is kept as a reminder that faith and goodness outlast pride and cruelty.

Holika Dahan is kept across North, Central and West India, and in many places it is called Chhoti Holi. In the Konkan the fire is part of the festival called Shimga, and in parts of the South a similar fire is lit as Kama Dahanam, remembering Kamadeva. Weeks ahead, neighbourhoods begin collecting wood and cow-dung cakes at a chosen crossing or open ground, and the pyre grows a little every day.

On the day itself, women often worship the pyre before it is lit, winding raw cotton thread around it and offering water, roli, rice, flowers, turmeric and sweets. After sunset the fire is lit, and people walk around it, usually three or seven times. Offerings go into the flames: ears of new wheat and barley from the fresh harvest, coconut, gram and sweets. Many roast the grain in the fire and share it as prasad, and some carry a little of the ash home, as a custom of bringing the blessing of the fire into the house. Then everyone waits for the morning, when the colours begin.

A practical note: the fire is lit on Purnima in the evening, after sunset, and families take care to light it at a time free of Bhadra, the part of the tithi traditionally kept apart from such rites. Where Bhadra runs late into the night, communities follow their own custom about the time. The muhurat shown above is worked out with this rule.

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