When is Choti Holi 2023? Here’s all you need to know about this year’s Holika Dahan celebrations

Choti Holi, also known as Holika Dahan, is an important Hindu festival celebrated throughout India, one day before the main Holi festival.

The day is recognized as the beginning of the joyful, colourful Holi celebrations and is seen as a symbolic triumph of good over evil. On the eve of Choti Holi, people congregate around a bonfire and make prayers to the Gods in an effort to get blessings for joy, wealth, and safety from evil.

While Choti Holi is normally celebrated the day before the main Holi festival, this year it is unclear if it will fall on March 6 or 7. So, let us have a look at the details of this year’s Choti Holi:

Date and Timings of Choti Holi

Drik Panchang states that this year's Choti Holi, or Holika Dahan, would take place on March 7. The Holika Dahan muhurat will start at 6:24 p.m. and continue until 8:51 p.m.

In addition, Bhadra Punchha will start at 12:43 a.m. and continue until 02:01 a.m., while Bhadra Mukha will start at 02:01 a.m. and continue until 04:11 a.m. Both muhurats are considered inauspicious for doing any auspicious activity.
Apart from this, the Purnima Tithi will start at 4:17 p.m. on March 6 and conclude at 6:09 p.m. on March 7.

Puja Vidhi of Choti Holi

People gather at one place on Holika Dahan or Choti Holi to do the Holika puja outside of their homes while lighting bonfires. Using Puja Samagris, they burn Holika effigies at night to commemorate the triumph of good over evil. During the ceremony, people often cook green grains over the bonfires.

Puja Samagri of Holika Dahan

Since Holika Dahan is a significant ritual, devotees need a number of things to carry out this ritual, which include:

• A glass of holy water
• A cow's dung
• Akshat (rice grains)
• Flowers
• Garlands
• Moli (sacred thread)
• Jaggery
• Turmeric powder
• Moong (split green gram)
• Batashe (sugar candy)
• Gulal (coloured powder)
• Coconut
• Wheat baaliyan

FAQs.

Q1- When will Holi be celebrated this year?
March 8.

Q2- Why is Choti Holi celebrated?
Choti Holi is celebrated to commemorate the symbolic triumph of good over evil.