Holi 2024: Will the festival of colors be celebrated on March 24 or 25? Know date, timings, rituals, and more

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festival of colors or Basanta Utsav, is one of the most revered Hindu festivals, promising a delightful celebration of colors, unity, and renewal. People across India will gather to celebrate the victory of good over evil, adorning the streets with a kaleidoscope of colors. As the Hindu month of Phalguna and the full moon approach, communities get ready to come together and put aside differences to celebrate life's better moments as the full moon approaches.

However, there is a common confusion about whether Holi will be celebrated on March 24 or 25 this year. This year, Holi falls on March 25, according to the Hindu calendar as the festival of colors is celebrated on the full moon day in the month of Falgun. On March 24, people across the country will celebrate ‘Choti Holi’ or ‘Holika Dahan’.

Take a look at the auspicious timings of these events below, - Purnima Tithi will begin at 9:54 am on March 24, 2024 - Purnima Tithi will end at 12:29 pm on March 25, 2024 Holi is a two-day festival that starts with the burning of a Holika effigy to commemorate the triumph of good over evil. The next day, people play with colors (rang, Gulal) created from organic materials like kumkum, neem, and turmeric. Other Holi customs include getting together with loved ones, attending community events with music and dancing, and exchanging sweets, snacks, and thandai.

In addition, people ask elders for blessings and joyful wishes for one another. On Choti Holi, the Holika Dahar ritual represents triumph over the malevolent intentions of Holika, the demoniac aunt of Prahlad (devotee of Lord Vishnu). Holika effigies will be set ablaze on March 24 as the sun sets, symbolizing the departure of negativity and the arrival of positivity.