Holika Dahan
Victory Of Good Over Bad
Holika Dahan, also known as Chhoti Holi or the eve of Holi, is a significant Hindu festival celebrated on the night before the main festival of Holi. The festival is celebrated with great enthusiasm and is symbolic of the victory of good over evil.
Holika Dahan is a Hindu ritual performed the night before Holi. In 2024, Holika Dahan will be followed on 24th March 2024. Holika Dahan refers to the ‘burning of Holika’. This occasion is related to Asura king Hiranyakashyap’s son Prahalad, a devotee of Lord Vishnu and his asura aunt, Holika.
Apart from Holika dahan, March month features several other festivals. Do check the list here.
People celebrate Holika Dahan because it is believed that everyone will be free from every problem, and it also refers to the victory of good over evil. According to Hindu mythology, Holika Dahan started with the story of Prahlad, son of Asura king Hiranyakashyap.
Prahlad was the devotee of lord Vishnu, but Hiranyakashyap was against his son and stopped him multiple times but failed. Then he asked his sister, Holika, who had the boon of never burning in the fire, to sit in the fire with Prahlad.
But, Pahlad continued chanting Lord Vishnu’s name and was saved by the grace of lord Vishnu, but Holika was burned to death in the fire.
The festival of Holika Dahan is celebrated to commemorate the victory of good over evil. It is believed that the demon king Hiranyakashipu had a boon from Lord Brahma that he could not be killed by any human, animal or God.
However, his own son Prahlad was a devotee of Lord Vishnu, and the demon king’s sister Holika had a boon to be immune to fire. Prahlad’s devotion and faith in Lord Vishnu saved him from the clutches of the demon king, and Holika was burnt in the fire instead.
Holika Dahan promotes unity and harmony among people. It is a festival where people come together to celebrate the victory of good over evil and forget their differences. It is a time when people of all ages and backgrounds come together to celebrate and enjoy the festival.
Holika Dahan is celebrated in the month of March, which marks the end of the winter season and the beginning of the spring season. The festival is a celebration of the arrival of spring and the blooming of flowers.
The bonfire that is lit on the eve of Holi is believed to cleanse the negativity and evil energies from the surroundings. People throw wooden logs, dry leaves, and other combustible materials into the fire to get rid of negative energies and purify the environment.
Holika Dahan is a time when people come closer to God and seek his blessings. People offer prayers to Lord Vishnu and seek his blessings for happiness, prosperity, and well-being.
As Holika Dahan is a Hindu festival, it is celebrated in North India, Nepal and South India following their own rituals. It is also called by different names in different places.
In North India (Delhi, Punjab, Uttarakhand), it is known as Holika Dahan, and in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar, it is called Sammnat Jaarna.
Holika Dahan is generally performed during the nighttime with a bonfire. Cow dung, Agarbatti, flowers, and a few more things are needed for the ritual of Holika Dahan.
People also make the idol of Holika and Prahlad with cow dung. After all the arrangements, people start walking to 3, 4 or 7 rounds individually or in a group with the vessel of water around the bonfire. At the end of the ritual, people smear some gulal powder on each other.
Holika Dahan is a significant festival that celebrates the victory of good over evil, promotes unity and harmony, and signifies the end of winter and the beginning of spring. The festival also cleanses negativity and evil energies and brings people closer to God.
To know more about important dates and festivals in March, please visit
Holika Dahan in 2024 is on March 24th.
Holika, according to Hindu mythology, was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu. She attempted to kill her nephew Prahlad by sitting in a fire with him, but Prahlad's devotion to Lord Vishnu saved him, and Holika perished instead.
Holika Dahan is a Hindu festival celebrated by burning Holika's effigy, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. It also marks the arrival of spring.
Holika Dahan is celebrated to commemorate the triumph of good over evil, as well as the protection of Prahlad by Lord Vishnu. It also heralds the onset of spring.
Holika was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu in Hindu mythology. She attempted to kill her nephew Prahlad, but her plan failed, and she perished in the fire instead.
Items typically put in Holika Dahan include wood, cow dung cakes, and sometimes grains like barley.
To perform Holika Dahan puja, people typically gather around the bonfire, offer prayers, and perform rituals to seek blessings for prosperity and well-being. The specific rituals may vary based on regional traditions.
Get The CEO Magazine to your Door Steps; Subscribe Now
