Holi 2027 falls on Monday, March 22, with Holika Dahan performed the night before, on Sunday, March 21, on Falgun Purnima.
An approximate Holika Dahan muhurat
Holika Dahan is performed during Pradosh Kaal with Bhadra Kaal avoided. Published panchang sources give an approximate muhurat of roughly 6:33 PM to 8:55 PM for Delhi. This depends on the exact start and end of Bhadra, which varies every year.
Why does Bhadra matter? In panchang terminology, Bhadra is a period within certain karanas (half-tithis) considered inauspicious. Lighting the Holika fire during Bhadra is traditionally avoided because the ritual is about burning away negativity, and starting it during an inauspicious window is seen as counterproductive. The muhurat window opens once Bhadra ends and Pradosh Kaal (the evening period after sunset) has begun.
For cities east of Delhi, like Kolkata, the window starts a few minutes earlier because sunset is earlier. For cities west, like Mumbai or Ahmedabad, it starts later. The difference is usually 15 to 30 minutes, not hours.
The story behind the fire
The bonfire isn’t decorative. It re-enacts the story of Prahlad and his aunt Holika. Prahlad, a devotee of Vishnu, was ordered killed by his father Hiranyakashipu. Holika, who had a boon of being fireproof, sat in the fire holding Prahlad in her lap. But the boon didn’t protect her because she was using it for evil, and Prahlad walked out unharmed. The burning of the Holika pyre symbolises that moment: evil consumed by its own overconfidence, devotion protected.
In many neighbourhoods across North India, people collect wood for weeks beforehand. The bonfire becomes a community gathering point. Families bring coconut, popcorn, and new harvest grains to toss into the fire. There’s a parikrama (circumambulation) around the fire, and many people apply the fire’s ash on their forehead the next morning before playing with colours.
A two-day celebration
On the night of Holika Dahan, the bonfire is lit as a symbol of good triumphing over evil, and the next day is celebrated by playing with colours. The colour play (Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi) has its own rhythm: it typically starts in the morning, peaks around midday, and winds down by early afternoon when everyone heads home for a bath and a feast.
Celebrating Holi abroad
For NRIs, Holi has become one of the most widely celebrated Indian festivals overseas. Most major cities in the US, UK, Canada, and Australia now have community Holi events. The timing of the colour play is flexible, but if your family observes Holika Dahan, you’ll want to know the muhurat. Since the muhurat is tied to Indian Standard Time, you’re really looking at the Bhadra and Pradosh Kaal times for wherever you are. A bonfire in your backyard in New Jersey at 7 PM EST on March 21 might or might not fall within the auspicious window, depending on sunset and Bhadra timing for your longitude.
How to check the exact time for your city
Bhadra Kaal is based on tithi-karana, so it stays roughly the same across most places, but the start of Pradosh Kaal depends on sunset and varies by city. Select your city on the panchang page to confirm that day’s karana and sunset. You can also use the muhurat page to check auspicious windows for your specific location.