Hindu festivals · Holika Dahan, Rangwali Holi, Dhulandi

Holi 2027: date and Holika Dahan muhurat

Holi comes at the Purnima of Phalguna. The bonfire of Holika Dahan is lit on the evening of the Purnima, and the festival of colours, Rangwali Holi or Dhulandi, is the next day.

Next date: Sunday, 21 Mar 2027

Holika Dahan timings

Detail	2027	2028
Date	Sunday, 21 Mar 2027	Friday, 10 Mar 2028
Purnima tithi begins	21 Mar, 6:22 pm	10 Mar, 10:22 am
Purnima tithi ends	22 Mar, 4:14 pm	11 Mar, 6:36 am
Holika Dahan muhurat (pradosh kaal)	6:24 pm to 8:48 pm	6:21 pm to 8:45 pm
Bhadra (Vishti karana)	6:24 pm to 5:15 am (22 Mar)	6:21 pm to 8:29 pm

Holi timings

Detail	2027	2028
Date	Monday, 22 Mar 2027	Saturday, 11 Mar 2028

The days of Holi

Day	2027	2028
Holika Dahan	Sunday, 21 Mar 2027	Friday, 10 Mar 2028
Holi	Monday, 22 Mar 2027	Saturday, 11 Mar 2028

All times are IST. Tithi times hold for all of India; sunrise, sunset, moonrise and the muhurat windows are for Nagpur, in the North and Central Indian (purnimanta) tradition, and shift by a few minutes in other cities.

How it is commonly observed

On the first evening a bonfire (Holika) is lit after a short puja; many families walk around it and offer grains, coconut or new crops.
The next morning people play with colours and water and visit family and friends.
Sweets such as gujiya are made at home in many parts of North and Central India.

Where regions differ

Holika Dahan is also called Chhoti Holi. In Maharashtra the fire is Holi or Shimga and the colours often come on Rang Panchami, five days later. In West Bengal and Odisha the day of colours is Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima, kept on the Purnima itself, so in some years it comes a day before Holi elsewhere.

All the regional calendars on this site that list it give the same date in 2027.

How the date is worked out

The rule: the day when the tithi runs during pradosh kaal, the 144 minutes after sunset. When two days qualify, the one where the tithi covers more of that window; when none does, the day the tithi begins. When bhadra (Vishti karana) falls in that window and the tithi carries on into the next day, the next day is taken. The Sun and Moon positions are computed for each year (sidereal, Lahiri ayanamsa), so the dates are not copied from a printed list.

Questions about Holi

When is Holi in 2027?

Holi 2027 is on Sunday, 21 Mar 2027, and in 2028 on Friday, 10 Mar 2028. The dates are worked out for Nagpur in the North and Central Indian tradition; the table above gives the tithi and muhurat times.

What is bhadra and why does it matter for Holika Dahan?

Bhadra is the Vishti karana, a half tithi that is traditionally avoided for Holika Dahan. When bhadra covers the evening, panchangs either wait for it to end or use its last part (bhadra puchha). The table shows when bhadra runs that night.

When is Holika Dahan done?

In pradosh kaal, the evening after sunset, on the Purnima evening. When the Purnima ends before the next evening, the fire is lit on the first evening even with bhadra; a local pandit usually fixes the exact minute.

Why does another calendar show a different date?

A tithi begins and ends at the same moment all over India, but the festival day depends on the part of the day the tradition looks at (sunrise, midday, evening or midnight) and on the sunrise of the city. A panchang for another city or tradition can therefore differ by a day. Follow the one your family uses.