Holi 2025 takes place on Friday, March 14th in India. March 13th (full moon night) is the time for Holika Dahan bonfires and March 14th is the day of the color fights.
Holi is a vibrant Hindu festival celebrated across India. It celebrates the arrival of spring with joyous colors. During the festival, people playfully splash colored powders and water onto each other.
When is Holi 2025?
According to the Hindu calendar, Holi is celebrated every year on the full moon day of the month of Falgun. Holi 2025 takes place on Friday, March 14th in India. March 14th is the time for Holika Dahan. March 15th is the day of the color fights.
March 13: Holika Dahan
March 13th is for ritually burning an effigy during Holika Dahan. On this day, people gather to set a bonfire and burn a Holika statue. This act represents triumph over evil in Indian culture.
The auspicious time for the Holika Dahan ceremony, known as Holika Dahan Muhurat, is from 6:31 pm to 8:57 pm on March 14th, 2025.
March 14: Holi — the Day for Color Fights
March 14, 2025, is the main day of the Holi festival, which is celebrated by playing with colored powders. During this day, the whole country goes out into the streets to play with vibrant hues.
Holashtak is from March 7th to 14th, a period of 8 days before Holi that is considered inauspicious for doing big things, such as buying a house, getting married, or starting a business.
| Event | Date | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Holika Dahan | March 14 (Friday) | Ritually burn the Holika statue |
| Holi day | March 15 (Saturday) | Play with colored powders |
Holi 2025 Events — 2-Day Celebrations
Holi is mainly celebrated for 2 days in most of India, except for in Uttar Pradesh (Mathura, Vrindavan, etc.), where Holi is celebrated for 10 days. During these 2 days, there are usually traditional songs, dances, and color fights. See below for the 2-day celebrations of Holi 2025.
Choti Holi / Holika Dahan — March 14, 2025
A Holika effigy is going to be burn.Holika Dahan refers to the ritual setting alight of a bonfire.
On the evening before the main Holi day (March 13th in 2025), locals gather in an open space or close to a temple to have a bonfire to burn a statue of Holika (a symbol of evil in Indian culture). There are also traditional songs and dancing around the fire.
The rituals of Holika Dahan are performed at the auspicious time from 6:31 pm to 8:57 pm on March 13th. It is done only when the full moon is visible in the evening. Burning a Holika effigy at any other time is believed to result in bad luck. The building of the pyre for the Holika fire could start weeks in advance, however.
Dhuleti Holi / Rangwali Holi / Color Fights — March 15, 2025
On the morning of March 14th, the ashes of the Holika bonfires are collected because they are considered to be very auspicious. The color battles begin.
People head to temples and streets armed with colored powders, water balloons, and water guns to join in the giant color fights. On this day, the whole country engages in the joy of colors
The color fights are continued throughout the day. Throwing colorful powders and water during Holi is a symbol of love to the gods, family, and friends regardless of age, caste, and gender.
Get some inspiration about planning a Holi trip to India.
Holi 2025 Dates and Events in Delhi, Mathura, Kolkata...
Holi 2025 falls on March 13 in most parts of India. However, in certain locations, festivities start earlier. For example, in Mathura, Holi events begin a week earlier and extend for 10 days. See below a list of Holi dates and celebration events across different regions in India.
| Regions/Places | Dates | Activities |
|---|---|---|
| Delhi | March 13–14 | Intense color fights, modern Holi parties |
| Uttar Pradesh (Mathura, Vrindavan, etc.) | March 14–22 | Lathmar Holi, flower Holi |
| Udaipur | March 13–14 | Holi activities organized by the Royal family |
| Goa | March 13–14 | Traditional folk songs and street dances, color fights on beaches |
| Bihar | March 13–14 | Food, fun, and color battles |
| Kolkata | March 13–14 | Locals and foreigners play with colors together |
| Gujarat | March 13–14 | Throwing colored water and powder, breaking an earthen pot full of buttermilk high up on a rope |
Is the Holi Festival a Public Holiday?
Holi is an important holiday in India and the day of the color fight (March 14, 2025) is a public holiday in most states across the country.
During the holiday, public buses stop running and shops and restaurants close in the morning. They usually reopen for business late in the afternoon. Banks may close for 2–3 days for the festival. Make arrangements in advance if you plan to visit.
There are seven states in which Holi is not a public holiday: Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Manipur, Pondicherry, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal. These states do not have a public holiday for Holi because the festival is either celebrated differently or not at all in these areas.
Holi Kab Hai 2025: Stories Behind Holi
The origin of Holika Dahan lies in the legendary tale of Prahlad and the demoness Holika, from whom the festival derives its name, with "Holi" being a derivative of "Holika".
Legend says that through penance, the demon king Hiranyakashipu was granted five magical powers of protection, which he believed would combine to make him immortal. Holding firm in this belief, he forced his subjects to worship him as a god. However, his son, Prahlad, refused to do so and instead stayed true to his adoration of the genuine god, Vishnu. Acting out of spite, Hiranyakashipu attempted many times to kill his son but was always bested by Vishnu.
During one of these such attempts, Hiranyakashipu conspired with his demoness sister, Holika, and developed a plan to kill Prahlad. Holika tried to trick Prahlad into burning to death on a pyre, but because her intentions were evil, she was the one who was burned and killed on a full moon night.
Holi Dates in 2025, 2026, 2027, ... 2030
The date of Holi is based on the Hindu calendar. As the Hindu calendar is different from the Gregorian calendar, the festival date changes each year: See below the Holi dates in 2025, 2026, 2027...2030
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | March 25th | Monday |
| 2025 | March 14th | Friday |
| 2026 | March 4th | Wednesday |
| 2027 | March 23rd | Tuesday |
| 2028 | March 12th | Sunday |
| 2029 | March 1st | Thursday |
| 2030 | March 20th | Wednesday |
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