Holi 2023 Date, Holika Dahan Time and Significance: Know All About the Legends, Choti Holi Celebrations and History Surrounding the Festival of Colours

Happy Holi 2023! It is that time of the year again when you'll see more smeared faces than ever. Holi in the year 2023 will be celebrated on March 8. Hinduism places great importance on the holiday of Holi, which is observed throughout India and is also known as the celebration of colours. The entire nation celebrates it with great fanfare. This Hindu festival is observed annually on the full moon day of Falgun month. When Is Holi 2023? Know Date, Holika Dahan Shubh Muhurat and All About Rangwali Holi Significance, History and Celebrations.

Holika Dahan 2023 Date and Time

The day before Holi is designated for Holika Dahan. It will take place on March 7 this year. The auspicious time period from 06.24 pm to 08.51 pm will be favourable for lighting wood stacks. More important than any other festival Muhurta is the one for Holika Dahan. According to Panchang, you would not only benefit from this festival if you follow the Shubh Muhurta (period) but also bring in good luck. List of Long Weekends in 2023 in India: Get New Year Calendar With Holiday Dates To Make the Most of Your Vacations.

Holi 2023 Date and Shubh Muhurat

The full moon of the Falgun month will begin on March 6, 2023, at 4:17 pm.

The date of the last full moon of the Falgun month is March 7 at 06:09 pm.

Shubh Muhurat to smear colours will be on March 8, 2023, from 6:24 to 8:51 in the evening.

Holi Legend and Significance

In his empire, Hiranyakashyap had outlawed offering prayers to God and had begun to see himself as the one true God. However, Prahlad, Hiranyakashipu's son, was a devout follower of Lord Vishnu. Holika, the sister of the same Hiranyakashyap, who received the boon of not being harmed by fire flames, was instructed by Hiranyakashyap to sit in the fire with Prahlad on her lap. This was decided in order to kill Prahlad. However, Prahlad was saved, but Holika was burned as she was sitting in the fire. Since then, Holika Dahan has been held in honour of Prahlad, a devout follower of God.

According to a different version, Lord Krishna loved Radha dearly but was afraid that she wouldn't accept him because he was dark, and she was fair. He smeared Radha's face with coloured powder on the instruction of his foster mother, Yashoda, which started their romance.

Holi Celebration Around India

Huge amounts of wood are lit on fire the night before the festival of colours to represent the burning of Holika. Following that, individuals of all ages hurl coloured water, powder, and even water balloons at one another in the morning as a part of Holi celebration. Revellers sometimes referred to as tolis, travel around their colony in bunches and smear everybody they come across with paint as they go. In practically every Hindu household, special sweets are produced, including the recognisable Gujiyas. Another common Holi recipe is a bhaang-infused beverage known as Thandai. Large farmhouses, five-star hotels, and resorts host celebrations in big cities like Delhi and Mumbai.

Holi is a celebration of good triumphing over evil. Holika Dahan is known as Kama Dahanam in several regions of South India. Legend has it that Lord Shiva used his third eye to burn Kamadeva (the God of Love). Huge pyres are built in public spaces, and people gather around them to pray and burn them. People burn cakes of cow dung at home. Following Holi, everyone exchanges sweets, paint their faces with homemade Holi colours (gulal), and gives each other hugs.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 02, 2023 09:58 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).