Holika Dahan 2026

Holika Dahan falls on Tuesday, 3 March 2026 (New Delhi).

Holika Dahan, on the evening of Phalguna Purnima, recalls the protection of the devotee Prahlad and the burning of Holika. A bonfire is lit after sunset, avoiding the Bhadra period, and people circle it with offerings of new grain.

Dates

How the date is set

It is kept in the lunar month of Phalguna, Shukla paksha Purnima, on the day of the tithi prevailing in the evening twilight (pradosh kaal). If Bhadra (Vishti karana) covers that time and the tithi is still current at the next sunrise, the next day is taken.

Lunar months here are amanta (new moon to new moon); in the purnimanta reckoning used in much of North India, the Krishna paksha belongs to the next month. Communities follow their own rules for some festivals, so a local almanac may keep a few on a neighbouring day.

Dates are computed with this site's panchang (Lahiri ayanamsa) for New Delhi. Times of sunrise and the tithi differ by place, so a date can shift by a day for cities far from Delhi; the calendar pages recalculate for your city. All festivals →