Holika dahan falls on 28th March and Rangwali Holi on 29th March 2021….. Significance and Remedies on Holika Dahan

Wishing you all a very Happy and blessed Holi..!!

Holika Dahan is falling on the 28th of March 2021 and Rangwali Holi will be celebrated on the 29th of March 2021.

This article brings to you in details on what alll remedies to do on Holika Dahan , its importance and mythological significance.

Mythological significance:

As the popular story of Holika dhahan goes, The egoistic Hrinyakashyap, used to consider himself immortal and the most supreme being as he had the blessings of Lord Brahma … when his own son Prahlad  who became an ardent Lord Vishnu devotee, he became very upset and angry with him.

Hirinyakashyap tried persuading his son against worshipping Vishnu but Prahlad stuck to his reverence and continued praying to Lord Vishnu.. This angered Hirinyakashyap even further , his identity as the most powerful person was being questioned by his own son and he decided to teach Prahlad a lesson.

Hrinyakashyap ordered his followers to harass and humiliate Prahlad and if he is still not deterred from his decision to Lord Vishnu then they should incur cruelty on him without fail..

Since Prahlad continued offering his prayers to Lord Vishnu, Hrinyakashyap started doing atrocities on Prahlad , all the time coaxing Prahlad to see if his Lord Vishnu will save him now.. this started from the eighth day of the shukla paksha of Phalgun maas of Hindu Lunar calendar , on the eighth day when Prahlad overcame all the cruelty done on him, Hiranyakashyap requested his sister Holika (who was blessed with a Divine shawl by Lord Brahma and had a boon that she will never get burnt by fire whenever she is wearing the shawl ) to jump in the pyre along with Prahlad, thinking that Prahlad will burn and die in the fire and since his sister had a boon she will come out of fire unscathed …

A huge fire was lit and as directed Holika sat in the pyre with Prahlad in her lap.. As the fire lits and huge flames start flaring from the pile of logs, Prahlad starts meditating on Lord Vishnu requesting him to protect him and for the good to win over evil…  as a result of Lord Vishnu’s protection, the shawl blows away from Holiak and wraps Prahlad, As a result of Lord Vishnu’s  blessings , Prahlad is unharmed while contrary to her boon , Holika gets burned in the fire.

Lord Vishnu tells Prahlad that Holika’s boon did not work on her as she had evil intention in her mind.. Lord Agni ( fire) , would not have harmed her if she had pious intention..

The day of Holika Dahan is also known as Choti Holi … it commences a day before the main Rangwali Holi / Dhulandi (festival of colors) . This year Holika dahan is on the 28th of March and Rangwali Holi falls on the 29th of March 2021.

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Holika Dahan Muhurat :

6:37 pm – 8: 56 pm ( 28th March 2021) 

Rangwali Holi : 29th March 2021

HOLIKA DAHAN MAIN LOG STICK ( Holi ka danda) : 

A month before the Holika Dahan takes place , on the auspicious day of Maagh purnmaasi ( full moon ) , the women collect one big stick of Hibiscus plant. it is fixed in the the main crossing of the village. in some villages it is taken with much fan fare from the main Jamindaar of the village and is taken to all the houses, and then is erected with full fanfare and with a flag on the top in his house. After that every day dry logs/ sticks are collected and placed around it. This becomes the main holika Dahan area. on the day of the Falgun full moon , after due Puja is done, the fire is lit and ceremonies of Holika Dahan begins.

Holika Dahan Puja Vidhi :

Make idols of Holika and Prahlad from cow dung . offer them red vermillion , rice grains etc… mentally invoke Lord Narsimha ( Vishnu Avatar) to bless you and everyone praying along with you.

Once the muhurat starts,  Lord Agni is invoked along with all the supreme deities, Holika and Bhakt Prahlad, their stories are chanted, Mantra’s are chanted to invoke the good to won over evil… Havan Samagri , camphor, turmeric, ghee, cow dung cakes, Roli- Akshat ( red vermillion with rice grains) , sandalwood paste , Ashtgandh ( mixture of eight herbs), wheat earring( Genhu ki Baali) , Black Gram or pea earrings,  are all offered to the Holika fire.

Tie Mauli ( cotton thread) around the Holika logs while encircling it seven times. Take an urn with water and ashtgandh , turmeric in it along with you. once you have encircled the Holika seven times, pour the water on the ground.

REMEDIES DURING HOLIKA DAHAN :

Burning Holika on the full moon night therefore has a lot of significance and anything thrown in it undergoes the test of Divine winning over evil…

Following remedies can be performed during Holika dahan :

#1 : Make a paste of wheat flour, turmeric  and mustard oil and rub it in your body, scrub it all over the body and collect the dirt that falls along with the scrub from your body on a paper. Throw it on the Holika pyre mentally making prayers that all your health problems, all your blockages in life, all your setbacks in life are being thrown in this fire so that they too get burned and wean off from your life..

#2  : Take a dry coconut and cut it from the top, fill it with mustard seeds, jaggery, rice grains, barley, cow ghee, close the top with a mauli ( red orange colored thread made of pure cotton) , Offer it to the Divinities by throwing this in Holika fire.

# 3.: Take a glass of water and then put turmeric paste on your forehead, then take 7 rounds around holika fire in clockwise direction , mentally praying that these offerings are being offered to all the Divine supreme energy present in the Divine Fire. After the 7th circle, pour water on the floor near the Holika fire and seek the blessings of Divine Supreme for peace and prosperity in your life.

# 4: Cow dung cakes, black mustard seeds  are also offered as a Prasadam for the Divinities in the Holika fire.

# 5.:  For inviting peace and prosperity in your home, you should  light a Ghee lamp / Diya in the North East side of your Home i.e.  after coming back from Holika Dahan. you can also light this Diya in the puja altar of your home.

# 6 : Chanting Vishnu mantra , ( “Aum Namo Bhagwate Vasudevaay” ) or Vishnu-Sahastranaam at night after Holika dahan will protect the family from any negativity in life.

# 7.: One can also chant any mantra which is the mantra of your Isht Devi/Devta , this also helps in bringing in auspicious in life all the year through.

#8 : Holika Dahan night is also a night with high energies and a lot of Tantric puja’s are also performed around this time.

# 9: Chanting Maa Bgulamukhi Mantra or performing her Havan is considered very auspicious during this night.

The next day of Holika dahan is celebrated as Holi / Dhulandi, the festival of color, the festival of leaving all grudges behind and of love and compassion …