A day before Holi festivities also known as Dulhandi, people in North India celebrate Holika Dahan. They burn bonfires and gather around to mark Choti Holi and the beginning of Dulhandi
On Choti Holi, families mostly in North India pray to god in the morning in the form of Holi Pujan and end their day with Holika Dahan
As per the Hindu calendar or Drik Panchang, Choti Holi mahurat will begin at 6:24 pm and continue till 8:51 pm. Bhadra Punchha started at 12:43 am and continued till 2:01 am. Bhadra Mukha started at 2:01 am and ended at 4:11 am. These mahurats are said to be auspicious to start new things. Purnima Tithi started at 4:17 pm on March 6 and will conclude at 6:09 pm on March 7
Holika, the sister of the asura-kings Hiranyakashipu and Hiranyaksha, thought that she could use her boon (that fire cannot destroy her) to kill her nephew Prahlad and sat with him in the bonfire and kept worshipping Lord Vishnu. However, she got burnt herself and Prahlad was saved. Since then, people have been celebrating this day in the form of Holika Dahan to celebrate good over evil. It precedes the occasion of Holi, the festival of colours, which celebrates the spring season
How to perform Choti Holi puja? People gather in one place to do Holika Dahan. They light bonfires, use Puja samagri (material used for ritual) such as incense sticks, pulses, wheat crop, coconut husk, sweets and raw turmeric and burn effigies of Holika. All the green grains are then burnt over this bonfire
A day after Holika Dahan, primarily the Hindu community, prepares for Dulhandi, which is a festival of colours. People cool down the Holika pyre by pouring water on it, worship, apply the ashes left behind from the Holika Dahan, and then start playing Holi
People traditionally apply colour made out of flowers locally known as ‘Gulal’ to their deity, then the elder family members and then start playing Holi. Over the years, the Holi festival has been turned into a festival of water as well as people welcome the summer season by pouring cold water mixed with colours onto each other
Holi is a festival which is said to promote ending rivalries with enemies and hugging each other to reflect peace and brotherhood
Nowadays, people also celebrate the festival by sharing wishes, often accompanied by colourful gifs, and greetings for Holi 2023 on WhatsApp and other social media platforms