Holi 2026 Date Confusion: Will It Be Celebrated on March 3 or March 4? Read On

According to scriptures, we perform Holika Dahan on the Purnima tithi of Falgun month. The next day, on the Pratipada tithi of Chaitra month, we celebrate Dhuredi by playing with colours. But this time, there's a big mix-up with the dates for both Holika Dahan and Dhuredi. Even experts are divided. We asked Ujjain's astrologer, Pt. Nalin Sharma, to clear up the confusion about the correct Holi date.

Astrologer Pt. Nalin Sharma says Chaturdashi will end at 5:55 PM on Monday, March 2, and Purnima will begin. The Purnima tithi will last until 5:08 PM on Tuesday, March 3. This means Purnima will last the entire night of March 2. So, performing Holika Dahan on this night is best. Remember to do it during Bhadra's 'puchh kaal', which is from 1:25 AM to 2:37 AM.

Usually, we celebrate Dhuredi, the festival of colours, the day after Holika Dahan. But not this time. The Purnima tithi will continue till 5 PM on March 3. Because of the lunar eclipse on this day, many places will celebrate Holi with colours on the next day, which is Wednesday, March 4.

The first lunar eclipse of 2026 will happen on March 3. Since it will be visible in India, its Sutak period will also be observed here. According to scientists, the eclipse will start at 3:20 PM IST and end at 6:47 PM. The Sutak will begin at 6:20 AM and end with the eclipse. The total duration is 3 hours and 27 minutes, but it will only be visible in India for the last 17 minutes.

Disclaimer
The information in this article is as per astrologers' guidance. We are only a medium for sharing this information. Readers should treat this content for informational purposes only.