Holi this year is being celebrated on 29 March 2021. However Holika Dahan will be observed on 28 March. Holika Dahan is considered as an important ritual for Hindus.
On this day, people gather around a bonfire and pray and perform rituals. It will be followed by main holi celebrations, also called Rangwali Holi on 29 March. The prayers are done at auspicious time which is also known as muhurat.
Holika 2021 Muharat Time
This year the Holika Dahan Muhurat will start from 06:37 PM and will go on till 08:56 PM. It will be for a total duration of 2 hours 20 minutes. People are advised to do Holika Dahan between this given frame of time.
Why is Holi Celebrated
As per the mythology, It is believed that Hiranyakashyap, a king in ancient India wanted everyone to respect him. But his son Prahlada, was a devotee of of Lord Vishnu. Outraged by this, Hiranyakashyap decided to kill his own son. He told his sister Holika to take Prahlada in her lap and sit in the fire as Holika was blessed with a divine blessing, that she would not burn even if she sits on it.
His plan to kill his own son Prahlada could not succeed as Prahlada kept chanting Lord Vishnu’s name all the time and survived. However, Holika the king’s sister was burnt to ashes. After this, Lord Vishnu, appeared in the Narasimha avatar killed the king Hiranyakashyap. Hence, this festival is also celebrated as a victory of good over evil.
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