About Holi
Holi is the spring festival of colours, and in 2027 the colour day, Rangwali Holi, falls on Monday, 22 March 2027, the morning after the Holika Dahan bonfire. Hindus mark it across India and the diaspora, but what they do varies sharply: sticks in Barsana, Tagore's songs in Santiniketan, float parades in Goa, coloured water five days later in Indore.
Holi is really two days. The bonfire comes first, on the full moon of Phalguna, and the colours the next morning. North Indian families call that second day Dhulandi, Bhojpuri speakers say Phaguwa, Gujaratis say Dhuleti, and in Bengal and Odisha the same full moon is Dol Purnima. Using the other person's word for it is half of a good wish.
How is the date of Holi decided?
The date of Holi follows the Phalguna full moon: panchangs fix Holika Dahan on the evening when the Phalguna full-moon tithi is still running after sunset. Colour play follows the next day, which northern purnimanta calendars count as the first day of the dark fortnight of Chaitra. Because a tithi can start at any hour and the bonfire's muhurat rules are strict, a family panchang and a government holiday list sometimes land a day apart.
What are the stories behind Holi?
The oldest layer of Holi is agricultural. Holaka is Sanskrit for pulse half-roasted in the pod. Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa Sutras argue over whether a rite called Holaka counts as authoritative, and the Kathaka Grihya Sutra pairs the full moon with roasted grain. Phalguna is when gram and barley come in across the Gangetic plain, and villages still push fresh ears into the embers and eat them.
The Holika story came later and gave the fire a moral. In the popular telling, the demon king Hiranyakashipu cannot kill his devotee son Prahlada, so his sister Holika, who is proof against fire, sits in the pyre holding the boy. She burns; he walks out unharmed. As Sahapedia notes, an older strand of the story runs the other way, with Holika as the aunt who tries to protect Prahlada and dies doing it.
South of the Vindhyas the bonfire belongs to a different god. In Karnataka it is Kama Dahana, in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Kamuni Panduga, remembering Shiva burning Kamadeva, the god of desire, with his third eye. Parts of rural Tamil Nadu burn effigies of Kama and stage sung debates on whether love can be destroyed at all.
In Braj, the colour is itself the devotion. Radha and Krishna playing Holi with the gopis is described in the Garga Samhita, and Braj temples open the season at Vasant Panchami, about forty days before the full moon, when the first gulal is offered.
How is Holi celebrated in Braj?
In Braj, Holi is not compressed into one morning: Mathura district runs a sequence from Laddu Holi at Barsana to Huranga at Baldeo. The sequence runs on tithis, so its Gregorian dates shift every year.
- Phalgun Shukla Ashtami · BarsanaLaddu Holi
Sevayats shower laddus from the Radha Rani temple balcony, opening the fortnight.
- Navami · BarsanaLathmar Holi
Men from Nandgaon come to plant a flag. Barsana's women drive them back with lathis while the men crouch under leather shields.
- Dashami · NandgaonThe return match
Barsana's women go to Nand Bhawan and the roles reverse.
- Ekadashi · VrindavanPhoolon wali Holi
Banke Bihari's priests throw flower petals instead of colour, for a few minutes only.
- Purnima · everywhereHolika Dahan
Bonfires after sunset, with new grain roasted in the embers.
- Pratipada · everywhereRangwali Holi
Colour until about lunchtime, then a long bath, clean clothes and visiting.
- Dwitiya · BaldeoHuranga
At the Dauji temple, women tear strips from men's kurtas and swing the wet cloth at them; the men answer with colour from the temple tank.
How is Holi celebrated in different parts of India?
Holi is not one festival: it is Dol Jatra in West Bengal, Dola Purnima in Odisha, Shigmo in Goa, Rang Panchami in Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, Yaosang in Manipur and Phagun Madai in Bastar.
| Region | Local name | What actually happens |
|---|---|---|
| West Bengal | Dol Jatra, Basanta Utsav | Radha and Krishna go out on a decorated swing. At Santiniketan students wear yellow or white with flower garlands, sing Tagore's spring songs and use dry abir. |
| Odisha | Dola Purnima | The dola, a palanquin carrying Krishna, is taken house to house for days before the colour play. |
| Goa and coastal Karnataka | Shigmo, Ukuli | A month of village performance in Phalguna: ghode modni, goff, fugdi, romta mel, then Chitrarath float parades in the towns. The tourism ministry calls it a spring harvest and warrior homecoming festival. |
| Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra | Rang Panchami, Shimga | Colour peaks five days after Holi. In old Indore the municipal corporation sprays coloured water along the streets, a habit from Holkar times. |
| Manipur | Yaosang | Five days from the Lamta full moon, opening with the burning of a thatched hut and running on Thabal Chongba, the night-time circle dance. |
| Bastar, Chhattisgarh | Phagun Madai | Ten days at Dantewada ending on Holi, where Danteshwari, village deities, the old royal family and Adivasi and non-Adivasi communities all meet. |
Colour, skin and animals
A study in the Indian Journal of Dermatology in 2009 followed 42 patients seen after one Holi. Itching affected about 60 per cent of them and a burning feeling nearly half. Eczema-like patches were the commonest sign and the face the commonest site, and one in six had eye complaints, from redness to grittiness.
The same paper lists what was in the powders: lead oxide in black, copper sulphate and malachite green in green, aluminium bromide in silver, Prussian blue in blue, mercury sulphate in red, and mica dust to make them sparkle. Herbal gulal from turmeric, indigo or annatto costs a little more and is now sold everywhere.
State health departments issue the same list every year: oil skin and hair first, take contact lenses out, wear sunglasses, play somewhere ventilated, keep drinking water, and afterwards use a mild cleanser instead of scrubbing.
Animals get the worst of it. Dogs and cats lick themselves clean and swallow whatever is on them, and the metal salts in cheap colour are poisons at that dose. Keep pets indoors, feed street dogs early and then leave them alone, and stop anyone who goes after them with a bucket.
Consent, and the phrase that hides it
"Bura na mano, Holi hai" is meant to excuse a smear of gulal from a cousin. It is also used, every year, to excuse groping, balloons aimed at women's bodies and colour forced on people who said no. Both things are true at once.
Do
- Ask before you colour anyone. A pinch of dry gulal on the cheek is the polite default for elders, neighbours and colleagues.
- Tell guests in advance what kind of Holi yours is: dry gulal only, water, or a full soaking. People can then dress and decide.
- Keep a no-colour corner for older relatives, babies and anyone recovering from illness.
Avoid
- Don't throw water balloons at strangers, at people on two-wheelers, or down from a balcony. That is not play, whatever the day is.
- Don't put colour on pets or street animals, or drench them with water.
- Don't serve bhang thandai without saying so. It acts slowly, which is why people misjudge the dose, and it is not legal in every state.
- Don't assume a Muslim, Christian or Parsi colleague wants colour on them. A warm wish is welcome; a handful of gulal often is not.
What to write
Happy Holi, Ma and Papa. Keep some gujiya aside for me, and please don't let anyone put colour on Papa's knees this year.
Wishing you a very happy Holi. If you're playing, enjoy it properly, and if you're not, hope you get a quiet day away from the inbox.
Happy Holi. The terrace isn't the same without you shouting at everyone to stop wasting water. Send photos, even the terrible ones.
Happy Holi to you and your family. No colour without asking, I promise. Come for the gujiya at least.
Happy Holi, Dadi. A little gulal on your feet and nothing more, as always. We'll call once we've scrubbed ourselves clean.
Thinking of you this Holi. No colour and no noise from us, just a note to say we remember, and we're close by if you want company.
Happy Holi, beta. Oil your hair before you go down, keep drinking water, and stay away from anyone carrying a bucket on a staircase.
Sikh friends in Punjab may be marking Hola Mohalla instead, which begins the day after Holi at Anandpur Sahib and has a very different tone.
How to wish someone on Holi
A Holi wish lands better when it names the version of Holi the person actually plays. Use their word for it, say whether you will be there, and make it clear you will ask before putting colour on anyone. For colleagues, friends of other faiths, older relatives, new parents and anyone grieving, wish them the day without assuming they want to be out on the street with a bucket.
Write a few lines in your own words, pick a design and share it as one link on WhatsApp, Instagram or anywhere else. They open an animated card made just for them, with no app and no sign-up.
Language tip: English, Hindi + recipient language.
When is Holi in 2026 and 2027?
Holi is set by the Hindu lunisolar calendar, so it falls on a different date each year. In 2027 it falls 18 days later than in 2026.
- 2026
- 2027may vary by location
Frequently asked questions
When is Holi in 2027?
Holi 2027 falls on Monday, 22 March 2027. The exact date can vary by location and local calendar, so confirm with your community.
Why is Holi celebrated over two days?
The first evening is Holika Dahan, a bonfire lit while the Phalguna full moon is still running after sunset. The colour play, called Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi or Dhuleti, happens the next morning. They are two separate rituals on two separate days, not one long party.
Is it okay to say no to colour on Holi?
Yes. Consent applies on Holi as on any other day, and "bura na mano, Holi hai" does not override it. A graceful way to decline is to offer your cheek for a pinch of dry gulal and step away from the water, and a good host will have a no-colour area for exactly this.
How do I get Holi colour off my skin and hair?
Oil your skin and hair before you play, so the colour sits on the oil rather than the skin. Afterwards use a mild cleanser and lukewarm water, do not scrub, and never use kerosene, petrol or spirit. Stains fade over a few days; see a doctor if the skin blisters, oozes or itches badly.
Are Holi colours safe for children and pets?
Cheap synthetic colours are not. Dermatology journals have reported lead oxide, copper sulphate, mercury sulphate and mica dust in Holi powders, and animals swallow whatever is on their coat when they groom themselves. Use herbal gulal on children, and no colour at all on pets or street animals.
Why does Holi fall on different days in different states?
Because several spring festivals share the season under different names. Bengal and Odisha keep the full moon itself as Dol Purnima, Goa spreads Shigmo across the month of Phalguna, Manipur's Yaosang runs five days, and Madhya Pradesh and parts of Maharashtra save the real colour play for Rang Panchami, five days after Holi.
What should I say to someone who is not celebrating Holi this year?
Skip the colour and the exclamation marks and send a plain line: that you are thinking of them, and that you are around. Many families do not play Holi in the year after a death, and a quiet message is far more welcome than festive wishes.
Last verified by the Kehdoo team on .