Immerse yourself in the colors of happiness, love, joy, traditions and cultural hues of Indian most colorful festival, Holi 2026. Lets read on know about the uniqueness and traditions of this joyous festival.
Namaste!
Welcome to the world of engrossed readings at www.onindianpath.com. So, here I am again to tell the untold information about Indian rich culture of festivity and celebrations.
Introduction
I start this blog with great enthusiasm and will eagerly wait for your valuable feedback in feedback section. Let’s peep into one of the grandest festival of India- Holi.
Hinduism is defined in two beautiful way : vibrancy and diversity. As we know, India never lags behind when it comes to celebrations. Every ethnicity, culture and sub section of our society has made each day a festival and every week full of celebrations.
What is Holi ?
Moreover, Holi is a Hindi word derived from the name of Holika, sister of demon king Hrinyakashipu.
However, this festival of colours is also famous by various names such as Holi, Rangwali Holi, Dulhandi, Phagwa, Dhuleti, Dhole Purnima, Ukuli, Manjal Kuli, Yaosang, Jajiri and Shigmo.
This is the festival of colours, where people throw colors, gulal and flowers on each other to celebrate the brotherhood, harmony and happiness of the most zeal festival.
Date and Tithi of Holi 2025
As per Hindu Panchang, Holi 2025 is celebrated on the Purnima (full moon) of Falgun mas. Likewise, Choti Holi or Holika Dahan 2025 was celebrated on March 13, 2025. And Dulhendi or playful Holi was celebrated on March 14, 2025.
Additionally, scholars suggested that muhurat for Holika Dahan 2025 started at 11:26 PM and ended at 12:27 AM on 14th March 2025. Besides, Holi purnima Tithi started at 10:35 AM on 13th March 2025 and ended at 12:23 PM on 14th March 2025.
Disclaimer: This post was originally written to share Holi 2024 dates and details. I’ve now updated it to include Holi 2026 dates as well, for readers to plan ahead. All tithi and muhurta timings are taken from www.drikpanchang.com and are meant for general guidance. Since festival timings can vary based on region and tradition, I always recommend checking with your local temple or panchang for the most accurate information.
Date and Tithi of Holi 2026
In 2026, we have Choti Holi or Holika Dahan 2025 falling on March 3, 2026 (Tuesday). And Dulhendi or playful Holi 2026 is falling on March 4, 2026 (Wednesday).
Besides, Holi purnima Tithi will start on March 02, 2026 at 05:55 PM and will end up at 05:07 PM on March 03, 2026.
Additionally, as per dirkpanchang.com, Holika Dahan Muhurat will be from 06:20 PM to 08:48 PM(Duration – 02 Hours 28 Minutes).
Eventually we have Rangwali Holi on Wednesday, March 4, 2026, where Bhadra Poonch will be there from 01:25 AM to 02:35 AM and Bhadra Mukha will be from 02:35 AM to 04:30 AM on March 4, 2026.
Holika Dahan during Pradosh without Uday Vyapini Purnima will Start at 05:55 PM on March 02, 2026. Do you know why I have used terms like Bhadra Poonch and Bhadra Mukh? Let me clear this doubt.
According to Hindu Dharma Sindhu, performing Holika Dahan, during the Bhadra period is considered inauspicious. This is because Bhadra is regarded as an unfavorable muhurat in the Panchang.
Ideally, Holika Dahan should be conducted after Pradosh, once the Bhadra period has ended.In cases where Bhadra extends until midnight, the ritual may be performed during the Bhadra Poonch time. Additionally, ancient texts caution that burning Holika during Bhadra is believed to invite negative energies, and the consequences might affect not only the individual but also the wider community, including the city and country.
For further reading, you may refer to classical Hindu texts such as the Skanda Purana and Agni Purana, which discuss auspicious timings for rituals. Modern Panchang sources like Drik Panchang also provide detailed muhurat guidance for festivals.
Significance of Holi 2026
For every Indian, Holi is like a heartbeat to range of festivals. It holds profound significance in every life from a child to an aged person.
While writing the significance of Holi 2026 in this blog, my mind was humming the famous Bollywood song- Holi k din dil mil jaate hain rango me rang khil jate hain (On the day of Holi, hearts meet and blooms with colors). Certainly these lyrics tells us the vibe of the festival.
Do You know why Holi is the most celebrated festival in India after Diwali? Because it represents the diversity, vibrancy and majesty of the bond and togetherness we share with different festivals around the world.
Correspondingly people leave behind their egos, fights, discords, disputes and come together to celebrate the festival of love and happiness, despite belonging to different religions and cultures.
At the end now we all know that Holi is a festival to commemorate the victory of good over evil. However, Holi was originally a fertility festival meant to celebrate the arrival of spring. Uphill now, Holi is a cherished tradition for all the Hindus.
History
- Meanwhile, I can not miss mentioning the divine love story of Radha and Krishna. According to mythology, once Bal-Gopal questioned his mother Yashoda why he is not fair like Radha? Why is he coloured blue? In response, Mother Yashoda playfully replied to him that by applying color on Radha’s face, Radha’s complexion would also become like Krishna’s. After this, Kanha played Holi with colors with Radha and Gopis. Since then, this festival is being celebrated as the festival of colors, love, romance and unity. One cna feel.this age old yet modern romance in every bollywood number dedicated to festivites and vibrant zeal of Holi.
- Nevertheless, there is one more legend associated with Holi. It is also said that due to the curse of Lord Shiva, a demon named Dhundi was driven away by the people of Prithu on this day, in whose memory Holi is celebrated.
Legends behind Holika Dahan
Once upon a time, there was a demon king, Hiranyakashipu. He had a son named Prahlad, a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. However, Hiranyakashipu did not like his devotion at all. He entrusted the task of turning the child Prahlad away from devotion of God to his sister, Holika.
Particularly, Holika had a boon that fire could not burn her body. Thus, with the intention of killing Prahlad, she sat in the fire with him in her lap. However, the great devotion of Prahlad and the grace of God saved him, and Holika herself got burnt in the fire. There was no harm to Prahlad’s body in the fire. From then onwards, Holika Dahan is performed every year.
Conclusion
So dear readers, start planning your Holi 2026 attire, those funky water guns and stocking up of all the natural colours.
Have a colourful and playful Holi with your folks.
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