Punjab, Haryana, UP, Bihar
The Holika fire is lit in the neighbourhood ground, and roasting fresh wheat ears over the embers is a shared part of the night. In Bihar, sattu and gur are offered into the fire.
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होलिका दहन
The bonfire night that opens Holi.
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Holika Dahan 2026
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Phalguna Purnima (the full moon of Phalguna), the evening before Holi
Holika Dahan is the bonfire lit on the full moon of Phalguna, the evening before the main day of colours. In 2026 it falls on Tuesday 3 March. The fire commemorates the burning of the demoness Holika, who — in the story of Prahlad — was immune to fire and was asked by her brother Hiranyakashipu to carry the boy into a pyre. Prahlad survived, protected by his devotion to Vishnu; Holika burned.
The ritual detail is that the fire is lit in the Nishita kaal, after dusk, and that the Bhadra period must be avoided — Holika Dahan should not be performed during Bhadra. This is why the timing varies noticeably between cities even on the same date.
In many parts of North India, families keep a fire going all night, and the next morning's colour play begins with the ash. In South India, the equivalent festival is Kama Dahanam, marking the burning of the god of desire — a completely different story attached to the same lunar date.
Copy any message in one tap. Written by hand, not pulled from a quote database.
May Holika Dahan burn away every sorrow and bring you new hope. Happy Holika Dahan!
Wishing you a blessed bonfire night and a colourful Holi ahead.
May the fire of Holika destroy everything negative in your life. Happy Holika Dahan!
Happy Holika Dahan! May Prahlad's devotion protect your home too.
In the order a household actually does them.
Stack wood in a pyramid around a central stake, adding cow-dung cakes. In villages this is accumulated over days. Keep it clear of cables and trees — bonfire-related electrical incidents are real.
The family circles the unlit pile with water and akshat, wraps a red thread around the pole, and places the coconut, wheat ears and gur at the top.
Light the pyre after dusk but before the Nishita window closes, avoiding Bhadra. Offer gur, sattu and wheat into the fire.
Walk around the burning pyre, then take embers or ash home. In many households the ash is applied the next day along with colour.
This is where most festival sites give one national answer to a question that has several.
The Holika fire is lit in the neighbourhood ground, and roasting fresh wheat ears over the embers is a shared part of the night. In Bihar, sattu and gur are offered into the fire.
Observed as Kama Dahanam, the burning of Kamadeva, with an entirely different set of stories. The ritual is performed with a ritual pyre rather than a community bonfire.
The community bonfire is observed, though on a smaller scale than in North India, and the following day's colour play is more contained.
Including a note on why each dish belongs to this festival.
Roasted wheat ears and sattu with jaggery are what get shared around the Holika fire in Bihar, UP and Punjab — the night's actual food.
About 10 minutes
Ingredients
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Holika Dahan falls on Tuesday 3 March 2026, on Phalguna Purnima, the evening before Holi on 4 March.
Bhadra is considered an inauspicious period in the panchang. Lighting the Holika fire during Bhadra is traditionally avoided, which is why the muhurat differs between cities on the same date.
A coconut and wheat ears, wrapped with a red thread around the central pole. Gur and sattu are also offered into the fire once it is lit.
Last reviewed 6 October 2026. This page covers a nationally observed festival — where practices differ, they are described separately rather than averaged. If you spot an error, tell us and we will correct it.