WHEN IS HOLI IN 2022? DATE, PUJA TIMINGS, HISTORY AND SIGNIFICANCE OF THE FESTIVAL OF COLOURS

Holi, the two-day extravaganza filled with colours, eatables, and joy, is an important festival and is celebrated with equal vigour across the country. The festival signifies the victory of good over evil. The Holika Dahan is the first day of the festival, followed by the main event where people play with colours. This year, the Holi will be more special as the grip of the Covid-19 pandemic is gradually losing, which aligns with the significance of the festival. Holi finds its roots deep in Hindu mythology and originates from the tale of Hiranyakashyap, the demon king, and his pious son, Prahlad. The father-son duo represented good and evil, the two polar opposites of a human being. Prahlad was a worshipper of Vishnu, which irked Hiranyakashyap.

He decided to incinerate Prahlad with the help of his sister, Holika, who was immune to fire. As Holika sat in the fire with Prahlad, the fire couldn’t affect Prahlad but engulfed Holika in flames. Holi glorifies this victory of a worshipper of Vishnu over the malevolent Holika and Hiranyakashyap.

Holi marks the advent of the Spring season and the season of harvesting. The celebration starts with the evening of Purnima. Holi, this year, will be celebrated on March 18, as compared to March 29 in 2021. Therefore, Choti Holi will be celebrated a day prior to the main festival, i.e., on March 17, 2022.

As far as the timing is concerned, the celebration, according to the Purnima tithi, will commence on March 17 at 1:29 PM and will end on March 18 at 12:47 PM