Holi, the much-anticipated festival, is just around the corner, and the entire country is preparing to celebrate the festival of colours with great zeal and enthusiasm. The two-day festival, held during the Purnima Tithi of the Phalguna month, includes two rituals: Holika Dahan and Dhulivandan, also known as Rang Panchami.
However, there has been some confusion this year regarding the festival's dates. While the entire country will celebrate Holi on March 7 and 8, the dates in Maharashtra differ. According to the Marathi calendar, Holika Dahan is on Monday, March 6, and Rang Panchami is on Tuesday, March 7.
Are you wondering why the dates in Maharashtra differ? Everything you need to know is right here.
According to an explanation given by a Dharmic Guru to Nagpur Today, the Purnima Thithi will start at 3.57 p.m. on March 6. Along with this comes Bhadra Kaal, Dharmic Guru has suggested that the celebration of Holi should be avoided during this time as it brings bad luck.
However, if the Bhadra Kaal is getting over after midnight, then it is considered auspicious for the Holika Dahan puja during the time frame of Bhadra Punchha. As detailed by the expert, the muhurta of Bhadra Punccha begins at midnight, from 12.10 a.m. to 1.27 a.m. He suggests that this is the most auspicious time for Holika Dahan. The Purnima Tithi ends at 6 p.m. on March 7.
Hence, to keep the shadow of Bhadra at bay, the guru suggests everyone should mark the festival on March 6 and 7 in Maharashtra. According to him, the states of India where the sun sets after 6.10 p.m. should mark the festival on March 6.
But places including Bihar and Lucknow can celebrate the festival on March 7 since the setting of the sun takes place before 6.10 p.m. The guru asserted that it is mandatory to mark Holika Dahan only during Bhadra Punchha to keep bad luck at bay.