Holika Dahan 2025: When Is Holika Dahan, Correct Date, Timings And More

Holika Dahan, observed on Chhoti Holi, is a significant ritual symbolizing the victory of good over evil. It is performed a day before the main Holi festival, Holi Purnima. In 2025, Holika Dahan will be celebrated on Thursday, March 13.

The festival honors the legend of Prahlad and Holika, and Holika Dahan involves specific puja rituals and offerings.

Holika Dahan Puja Offerings

To prepare for the Holika Dahan puja, gather all the necessary items:

• Wooden logs
• Roli and Akshat (rice grains)
• Cow dung cakes
• Fresh flowers
• Turmeric and gulal (colored powder)
• Mustard seeds and wheat grains
• Coconut
• Moli (raw cotton thread)
• Sweets
• Water and incense sticks

Essential Rituals for Holika Dahan Puja

Once the puja preparations are complete at home, move to the site where the bonfire will be lit and perform the rituals there, following the puja muhurat. The rituals include the following steps, typically guided by a priest:

1. Moli Ritual: Devotees tie a raw cotton thread (moli) around the fire, praying for protection and good fortune from evil forces.

2. Prayers to Lord Vishnu: Worshippers invoke Lord Vishnu for blessings to remove negative energy and bring about positive transformations.

3. Gangajal Sprinkling: Gangajal (holy water) is sprinkled over the area surrounding the fire as a cleansing ritual to maintain the sanctity of the ceremony.

4. Offering Roli and Akshat: Roli (sacred red powder) and akshat (unbroken rice) are placed on the fire to signify devotion and prosperity.

5. Pradakshina (Circumambulation): Devotees perform pradakshina, walking around the bonfire three to seven times while chanting prayers and mantras to purify themselves.

6. Lighting the Fire: The priest lights the bonfire, symbolizing the triumph of good over evil in the story of Prahlad and Holika.

7. Sacrificing Grains and Sweets: Wheat grains, mustard seeds, and sweets are offered into the fire as an expression of gratitude for the gods’ blessings and abundance.

8. Farmer’s Prayers: Farmers offer prayers for protection from pests and a fruitful harvest. The fire is believed to purify the surroundings and eliminate germs.

These rituals and offerings, performed with devotion, mark the beginning of the Holi festivities and celebrate the eternal victory of good over evil.