Holi is the festival the Hindi heartland calls its own. On the full-moon night of Phalgun a bonfire, Holika Dahan, is lit at every crossroads; the next morning is Dhulendi or Rangwali Holi, when the whole town is out with gulal, water guns and drums. "Bura na mano, Holi hai" (don't mind, it's Holi) is the day's only rule.
The story
The demon king Hiranyakashipu demanded to be worshipped as a god, and his own son Prahlad would worship only Vishnu. The king's sister Holika had a boon that fire could not harm her; she sat in a pyre with the boy on her lap. She burned, and Prahlad stepped out untouched. The fire lit on the eve of Holi is hers.
The colours come from Braj. The dark-skinned Krishna, the story goes, complained to his mother about Radha's fairness, and Yashoda told him to go and colour her face any shade he liked. In Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana and Nandgaon the festival runs for well over a week.
आज बिरज में होरी रे रसिया, होरी रे रसिया बरजोरी रे रसिया
Today there is Holi in Braj, beloved; Holi, and nobody is asking leave
A Braj folk song sung through the festival
How it is played
- Holika DahanWood is piled up for days beforehand. After the fire is lit, people walk round it, roast green gram and new wheat in it, and carry embers home.
- Gulal and pichkariDry colour for elders, wet colour for everyone else. Traditional colour came from tesu (palash) flowers soaked overnight.
- Gujiya and thandaiFried pastries filled with khoya and dry fruit; thandai, sometimes laced with bhang; dahi vada and malpua.
- Phag and dholakGroups go from house to house singing phag and hori to the dholak.
- Holi MilanIn the evening people bathe, dress in white and call on one another; old quarrels are meant to end today.
Why this date
Holika Dahan is on the evening of Phalgun Purnima, after sunset, once Bhadra (the first half of the full-moon tithi) has passed. If Bhadra lasts beyond midnight the fire moves to the next evening. Holi with colours is the following day.
Holi in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Wednesday | |
| 2027 | Tuesday | |
| 2028 | Saturday | |
| 2029 | Thursday | |
| 2030 | Wednesday | |
| 2031 | Sunday |
More North Indian festivals
6 MarchMaha Shivaratriमहाशिवरात्रि
7 AprilChaitra Navratriचैत्र नवरात्रि
15 AprilRam Navamiराम नवमी
13 FebruaryRatha Saptamiरथ सप्तमी
15 JanuaryMakar Sankrantiमकर संक्रांति
20 AprilHanuman Jayantiहनुमान जयंती
Where to see Holi
In North India
- Barsana and NandgaonUttar PradeshLathmar Holi: the women of Radha's village drive off the men of Krishna's with staves, about a week before the main day.
- Banke Bihari Temple, VrindavanUttar PradeshPhoolon ki Holi, played with flower petals, and days of colour flung from the temple itself.
- Dwarkadhish Temple, MathuraUttar PradeshKrishna's birthplace celebrates through the week, ending with processions on the day.
- VaranasiUttar PradeshBegins at Rangbhari Ekadashi, days earlier, and includes Masan Holi, played with ash at the cremation ghats.
Across India
- Anandpur SahibPunjabHola Mohalla, the Sikh gathering of martial display, held alongside Holi.
- SantiniketanWest BengalBasanta Utsav: Tagore's spring festival, in yellow.
- HampiKarnatakaThe one place in the south where Holi fills the streets, among the ruins of Vijayanagara.