Why was the bonfire lit at 11pm and not at dusk?

Because Bhadra was running. Bhadra (Vishti karana) is held unfit for auspicious kindling, so when it covers the evening the dahan waits for it to end — sometimes well past midnight. The rule is older than the inconvenience.

Is Holi celebrated everywhere in India?

No, and a calendar that implies so is misleading you. It is central in the north, west and east, and comparatively minor in the far south, where the same lunar day carries other observances.

Holi

Also called Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi, Dol Purnima, Phagwah

When

Monday, 22 March 2027 in 207 days

New Delhi · change location

Sunrise6:27 AM

Sunset6:29 PM

Purnima until 4:13 PM
at sunrise. This observance is governed by pradosha, not by the sunrise tithi — which is why the tithi named here is often not the one the festival is named for.

Uttara Phalguni until 8:46 PM

7:57 AM – 9:27 AM

See the complete panchang for that day →

Governed by

Why this date?

Holika Dahan is on the Purnima of Phalguna, kindled in the PRADOSHA period after sunset, and it is deferred when Bhadra falls over that evening — Bhadra-vyapti is the reason the bonfire is sometimes lit very late at night. The play with colour is the FOLLOWING day, Pratipada of Chaitra Krishna Paksha.

Computed by the panchanga engine for your location
Follows a written selection rule, not a copied list
The governing period is stated, and the rule is applied to it
The written guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar

Dates come from the calculation engine and are independent of the written guide. How we calculate →

Dates in the coming years

Published to 2030. Later years appear as the dataset is extended and validated.

What In short

Two linked observances. On the first evening a bonfire (Holika Dahan) is lit and circumambulated. The next morning is the play with dry and wet colour that the festival is known for outside India.

Deity: Krishna; Vishnu as Narasimha

Why The reason behind it

The bonfire recalls Holika, sister of Hiranyakashipu, who sat in the fire holding the child Prahlada and was consumed while the devotee was untouched. The colour play is attached to Krishna and the Braj country, and in Bengal and Odisha the day is Dol — Krishna and Radha carried in a swing rather than a colour fight.

Traditional basis

Bhagavata Purana, Canto 7 — The Prahlada–Hiranyakashipu narrative that the Holika bonfire enacts.

Regional Braj tradition — The Krishna–Radha colour play; not a shastric prescription but an unbroken local practice of long standing.

How At home, step by step

Before the evening, add to the community woodpile — this is a shared fire, not a household one.
At the pradosha hour, light the fire; circumambulate it, traditionally three or seven times.
Offer to the fire what the household's custom names: whole grains, coconut, and the new season's harvest.
Roast grain in the embers and share it; this is the origin of the word holaka.
The next morning, apply colour to elders' feet first before the general play.
Use skin-safe colour, and ask before applying it to anyone.

What you'll need

Wood and dried cow-dung cakes for the community fire
Whole grains and coconut
Gulal and natural colours
Water and oil for skin protection before playing

Fasting and breaking the fast

Not a fasting festival. Some households keep a light fast until the Holika Dahan is complete and break it with the roasted grain.

Fasting guidance here describes traditional practice. It is not medical advice — if you are pregnant, diabetic, on medication or unwell, ask a doctor about your own circumstances.

Personal In your region

Bengal (Bengali)
Dol Jatra / Dol Purnima — Krishna and Radha are carried in a decorated swing and colour is offered to the deity first.
Odisha (Odia)
Dola Purnima, with the deity procession preceding the colour play.
Maharashtra (Marathi)
Called Shimga or Rangapanchami; the colour play falls on Panchami rather than the day after the bonfire.
Punjab (Punjabi)
Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib follows Holi — martial display rather than colour play.

For children

Long ago a boy named Prahlada kept saying God's name even when his father told him to stop, and the fire that was supposed to hurt him did not. That is why there is a bonfire, and the colours the next day are for Krishna, who liked playing pranks.

Common questions

Why was the bonfire lit at 11pm and not at dusk?: Because Bhadra was running. Bhadra (Vishti karana) is held unfit for auspicious kindling, so when it covers the evening the dahan waits for it to end — sometimes well past midnight. The rule is older than the inconvenience.
Is Holi celebrated everywhere in India?: No, and a calendar that implies so is misleading you. It is central in the north, west and east, and comparatively minor in the far south, where the same lunar day carries other observances.

Not the same day

These fall nearby or share the tithi, and are often confused with this observance. They are separate, and this site dates them separately.

Holika Dahan
Ranga Panchami
Hola Mohalla

This guide has not yet been reviewed by a named scholar or practising priest. The dates and times on this page come from the calculation engine and are independent of it; the explanatory text is editorial and may not reflect your family's practice. Tell us if something is wrong.