Short answer: Holi 2027 is on Monday 22 March, and Holika Dahan is the evening before, on Sunday 21 March. Bhadra covers that whole night, so most panchangs give the dahan muhurat in Pradosh kaal, about 6:33 pm to 8:55 pm in Delhi. Phalguna Purnima runs from 6:22 pm on 21 March to 4:13 pm on 22 March IST.
Updated 8 November 2026
When is Holi 2027 and when is Holika Dahan?
Holika Dahan is on Sunday 21 March 2027, and Rangwali Holi, the day of colours, is on Monday 22 March 2027. Holika Dahan is always done on the night of Phalguna Purnima, after sunset, and the colours follow the next morning.
The full Moon of Phalguna begins at about 6:22 pm IST on Sunday, just before sunset in most of north India, and ends at about 4:13 pm on Monday. So Sunday evening is the only evening that has Purnima, which settles the date of the bonfire. Every panchang I checked agrees on both days.
| Event | Date | Time (IST) |
|---|---|---|
| Phalguna Purnima begins | Sunday 21 March | about 6:22 pm |
| Holika Dahan muhurat (Delhi) | Sunday 21 March | about 6:33 pm to 8:55 pm |
| Bhadra | 21 to 22 March | from about 6:22 pm to about 5:15 am |
| Bhadra punchha | Monday 22 March | about 1:26 am to 2:31 am |
| Rangwali Holi (Dhulandi) | Monday 22 March | all day |
| Phalguna Purnima ends | Monday 22 March | about 4:13 pm |
What is Bhadra, and why does it matter for Holika Dahan 2027?
Bhadra is the name for the Vishti karana, a half-tithi that tradition treats as unfit for new or auspicious acts. On a full Moon, the first half of Purnima is always Bhadra. The rule for Holika Dahan is to light the fire after sunset, while Purnima is present and Bhadra is not.
2027 is one of the awkward years. Purnima starts at sunset, so its first half, the Bhadra half, stretches across the whole night and only ends at about 5:15 am on Monday. There is no clean evening window.
When that happens, the texts allow two choices. One is to light the fire in Pradosh kaal, the first part of the evening, accepting Bhadra. The other is to wait for Bhadra punchha, the tail of Bhadra that is considered mild, which this year falls at about 1:26 am to 2:31 am. Bhadra mukha, the part to avoid at all costs, runs after that until about 4:20 am. Most panchangs and most neighbourhoods will go with the evening, about 6:33 pm to 8:55 pm in Delhi. In practice the timing is set by your colony committee or temple anyway, and I would simply follow it.
Holashtak and Meena kharmas: why mid-March is quiet
The eight days before Holika Dahan are called Holashtak. In 2027 they run from about 15 March to 21 March. In much of north India, families avoid weddings, engagements, griha pravesh, mundan and new purchases in this stretch.
This year the quiet goes on for longer. The Sun moves into Pisces on the morning of 15 March, which starts Meena kharmas, and that lasts until about 14 April. So the gap for weddings and house-warmings is not one week but about a month. If you are planning an event around Holi, my marriage muhurat 2027 page shows the last dates before the pause and the first ones after it.
How to do Holika puja at home or in your colony
Most families join the community bonfire. If your building or street holds one, the puja usually looks like this:
- Walk around the Holika three or seven times, winding raw cotton thread around it.
- Offer water, roli, rice, flowers, jaggery, turmeric, new wheat or barley ears and coconut.
- After the fire is lit, roast the green grain in it and share it as prasad. In many homes this is the first new harvest the family eats.
- Next morning, a little of the cooled ash is applied as a tilak before the colours begin.
If you are in a flat with no community fire, a lamp lit at the main door on Holika Dahan evening, with a short prayer for the family, carries the same intent. Please do not light a fire indoors or on a balcony.
Holi 2027 across India
The same full Moon is marked in many ways.
- Braj (Mathura, Vrindavan, Barsana): the celebrations begin days before Holi with Lathmar Holi and Phoolon wali Holi. Temple dates are announced locally each year.
- Bengal and Odisha: Dol Jatra or Dol Purnima, with Radha-Krishna carried on a swing and abir in place of wet colours. It falls on the full Moon, around 22 March; check your panjika.
- Punjab: Hola Mohalla at Anandpur Sahib starts the day after Holi, with displays of martial skill.
- Karnataka and Tamil Nadu: Kama Dahanam, the burning of Kama, on the full Moon night.
- Goa and the Konkan: Shigmo, a longer spring festival with parades.
Playing colours safely on 22 March
A few practical points I repeat every year. Use colours sold as skin-safe or herbal, and oil your hair and skin before you go out. Keep colour away from eyes and ears, and wash with plain water if any gets in. If there is pain, redness that does not settle or blurred vision, see a doctor the same day. Keep pets indoors and do not throw balloons at people on two-wheelers. And if someone says no to colour, that is the end of it.
What does Holi 2027 mean astrologically?
On the night of Holika Dahan the Moon is in Purva Phalguni, in Leo, opposite the Sun in Pisces. A full Moon is the mind at its fullest and loudest, which is part of why Holi has always been a festival of letting go. The tradition of burning the old, of forgiving and starting again, is good psychology as much as anything else.
Practically, I treat the week as a time to close things rather than begin them. Pay what is pending, make the call you have been avoiding, clear the storeroom. The fresh starts come a little over two weeks later, with Ugadi and Chaitra Navratri on 7 April.
Planning an event around Holi 2027?
If you have a wedding, a move or a business opening to fit around the Holashtak and kharmas gap, I can check your chart and give you the nearest workable dates on either side. A reading is ₹1,499 for a 45-minute session, by video or phone, in English, Hindi or Bengali. You can book a time with me.
For the other full Moons of the year, see Purnima and Amavasya 2027. For Navratri, Pradosh and the monthly fasts that follow Holi, see my vrat calendar 2027.
The festival before Holi is Maha Shivratri 2027 on 6 March, and the whole year is laid out on my Hindu festivals 2027 page.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Holi 2027 on 21 March or 22 March?
Holika Dahan is on Sunday 21 March and the colours are on Monday 22 March 2027. Some calendars list Holi on 21 March because that is the Purnima night; the playing of colours is on the 22nd.
What is the Holika Dahan muhurat in 2027?
In Delhi, about 6:33 pm to 8:55 pm on Sunday 21 March, in Pradosh kaal. Bhadra covers the night, so some families wait for Bhadra punchha, about 1:26 am to 2:31 am.
When does Bhadra end on Holika Dahan 2027?
At about 5:15 am IST on Monday 22 March. It begins with the Purnima at about 6:22 pm on Sunday, so it covers the whole night.
When does Holashtak 2027 start?
From about 15 March 2027, the Ashtami of Phalguna, and it ends with Holika Dahan on 21 March. Meena kharmas begins on 15 March too, so weddings stay paused until mid-April.
Is Holi 2027 a good day to start something new?
Holi itself is a festival day and many people do buy or begin small things on it. For anything large, though, the surrounding Holashtak and kharmas make me look a little later, at Chaitra Navratri or after mid-April.
