What is Holika Dahan?

A bonfire ritual commemorating the legend of Prahlad, a devotee of Vishnu, who survived a fire meant to kill him while the demoness Holika, who tried to burn him, perished instead.

Why does the date change every year?

Holi is fixed to a lunar Tithi (Phalguna Purnima), not a Gregorian date — the date drifts year to year with the lunar calendar.

Why does the calculation check the Sun's Rashi as well as the Tithi?

Shukla Purnima recurs every lunar month, so a Tithi-only search can match the wrong month's Purnima in an Adhik Maas year — checking the Sun's Rashi (Kumbha/Aquarius) pins down the correct Phalguna occurrence.

How accurate is this calculation?

Verified against a real, independently-published 2026 date for this exact Tithi/Rashi combination.

Does Holi always fall in March?

Usually late February or March, but in a year with an Adhik Maas inserted earlier in the calendar, it can fall notably later.

Is Holi celebrated the same way everywhere in India?

The core dates are national, but regional traditions vary widely — Braj region's week-long celebrations, Bengal's Dol Purnima, and South India's more subdued observance all differ in emphasis.

Does this calculator work for past or future years?

Yes — enter any Gregorian year to find that year's calculated dates.

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Hindu Tools

Holi Date Calculator

The calculated dates of Holika Dahan and Rangwali Holi for any Gregorian year.

🔒 Runs entirely in your browser — nothing here is ever uploaded

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Last reviewed 2026-09-07

About the Holi Date Calculator

Calculates the dates of Holika Dahan (the bonfire) and Rangwali Holi (the day of colors) for any Gregorian year.

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How to use it

Enter a Gregorian year.
Read the calculated date of Holika Dahan (evening bonfire).
Read the following day's date — Rangwali Holi, the day most people mean by "Holi".

Formula

Holika Dahan falls on Phalguna Purnima (15th Tithi of Shukla Paksha) — found by searching for the date whose Tithi is Shukla Purnima AND whose Sun sidereal Rashi is Kumbha (Aquarius), the second condition needed to correctly disambiguate the right month's occurrence in an Adhik Maas (leap month) year. Rangwali Holi is simply the following calendar day.

Worked example

2026: Holika Dahan falls 3 March, Rangwali Holi (day of colors) falls 4 March.

Holi-related observances

Holi-related observances
Day	Name	Significance
Phalguna Purnima (evening)	Holika Dahan	Bonfire commemorating Prahlad's rescue from the demoness Holika
Following day	Rangwali Holi	Playing with colored powders and water — the day most people mean by "Holi"

Interpreting your result

This is a calculated approximation using a fixed India Standard Time midday reference. Holika Dahan is traditionally performed after moonrise on Purnima evening — this tool gives the calendar date, not the specific muhurat time, which varies by location and year.

Recommendations

• Some regions (notably Braj, around Mathura and Vrindavan) extend Holi celebrations over a full week with distinct named days (Lathmar Holi, Phoolon wali Holi) — this tool covers the two mainstream dates observed nationally.

Frequently asked questions

Holika Dahan (the bonfire) is performed on Phalguna Purnima evening; Rangwali Holi (playing with colors), the day most people mean by "Holi", follows the next morning on Krishna Paksha Pratipada — these are 2 real, distinct, sequential observances, not a single date.