Holika Dahan2018(Choti Holi)- Date2018-About Holika Dahan-Story -Process-Muhurt2018- Greetings2018-Pictures2018-Scraps2018

Monday, March 21, 2016

Holika Dahan2018(Choti Holi)- Date2018-About Holika Dahan-Story -Process-Muhurt2018- Greetings2018-Pictures2018-Scraps2018

Holika Dahan Date2018

Holika Dahan or Choti Holi is coming this year 1st March.According to Gujarati calendar this festival is coming on Phalgun month Purnima(full moon Day) known as Phalgun Purnima.Holika dahan is hindu festival celebrated all over India.Holika Dahan is the ritualistic burning of Holika demon during Holi festival, which usually falls on February – March every year.

About Holika Dahan

Holika Dahan, which celebrates the victory of good over evil, is performed one day before the Holi festival.Holi is also related with the story of Prahlad, Holika, and Hrinyakashyapa. The festival is celebrated in the Hindu month of Falgun, which falls at the end of winter season and welcome of spring and commemorates with the Mid-February to Mid- March period of the Gregorian calendar. On the occasion of Holi, Hindu community all over the world celebrates this festival with immense joy and fervor. Apart from color playing, community gathering, feast, exchange of gifts and good wishes are vital elements of Holi celebrations.Holika Dahan is a spring festival of the Hindus, and commemorates the saving of Prahlad and burning of his wicked aunt Holika.In some community people roast barley seeds in the fire to eat and it is belived that the yield of the coming harvest season can be predicated by reading the direction of the flame s or the state of the roasted grains.The ashes of this fire are belived to have some medicinal propreties.People take embers from this holy fire to rekindle their own domestic fires.

The celebration begins from the eve of Holi with the ritual of Holika Dahan. Holika Dahan, or burning of demon Holika, is the vital ritual during Holi festival. On a night before Holi, people collect wooden logs and waste materials like broken furniture, clothes, etc from their home and gather it together to burn Holika. This bonfire epitomizes the victory of good over evil. It is also even termed as the cleansing ceremony before the actual Holi festival.

Story of Holika Dahan

A story about Holika dahan says that Hirankashyap was a very powerful devil.In this fight against the gods he had defeated them, which made him very egoistic.he issued an order that no one should pray to God or even take the name of God.Fearfully people started praying him.

His son prahlad was a true devotee of God.He didn't obey his father's order.Hirankashyap got angry on him and meted out the most rigorous punishment to him.But this did no harm to Prahlad.Hirankashyap had a sister by the name of holika.She had been granted a boon that fire will do no harm to her.Hirankashyap ordered Holika to take Prahlad in her lap and sit on a bed of fire.Holika was burnt in the fire and prahlad survived with no harm done to him.As a remembrance to that event, people celebrate Holi by burning wood with the statues of Holika and Prahlad in it.

Holika Dahan Process

Holika Dahan preparations begin almost 40 days before the festival. People start gathering woods on the important crossroads of the city. Holi Pooja or Holika takes place on an auspicious time in the evening a day before the Holi festival. Given below are the steps and rituals for the Holi Pooja:

Holi Pooja can be performed at any place.
A log of wood is kept at a prominent public place on the Vasant Panchami day.
People extend the log centre with twigs, dried leaves, branches of trees and other combustible material.
On the day of Holika Dahan, an effigy of Holika and Prahlad is placed on the huge heap of woods.
Effigy of Holika is made of combustible material while Prahlad's effigy is made of non-combustible material.
On the eve of Holi, the heap is set alight and the people chant Rakshoghna Mantras of the Rig Veda to cast away the evil spirits.
Left over ashes are collected by people next morning. These ashes are considered holy and are smeared on the limbs of the body as Holi Prasad.
Smearing of body limbs is an act of purification.

Holi Pooja is performed in a different manner in some communities. Marwari women offer Holi puja in the afternoon and evening i.e. before setting fire to 'Holika'. It is called 'Thandi Holi'. The whole puja process is considered very auspicious for the married women. It ensures well-being and healthy life of their husband.

Holika Dahan Muhurt2018

Holi Date : 1st March 201
Holika Dahan Muhurt 18:32 to 20:50 (evening)
Duration = 2 Hours 29 Mins
Bhadra = 23:45 to 01:04
Bhadra Mukha = 01:04 to 3:14
Holi: 24th March 2016

Holika Dahan Greetings2018