Holi 2024: Will the lunar eclipse on Holi be visible in India also, know here!

pc: Naidunia

Holi, the festival of colours, will be celebrated on 24 and 25 March this year. Holika Dahan will be done on the full moon night of Phalgun, after which Holi of colours will be played the next day. While people eagerly wait for Holi every year, this time the celebrations are going to take an interesting twist with the first lunar eclipse of 2024.

Lunar eclipse is considered inauspicious, it is believed to contain negative energy which affects daily life. Let us see how the lunar eclipse will affect Holi colours, the timing of Holika Dahan and whether Bhadra will have any impact on Holi this year. Let us find answers to these questions.

Phalgun Purnima Date 2024:

Holika Dahan is performed on the day of Phalgun Purnima. The full moon will start at 8:13 AM on March 24, 2024, and continue till 11:44 AM the next day on March 25, 2024.

Auspicious time of Holika Dahan 2024:

According to the Panchang, the auspicious time of Holika Dahan is from 11:13 pm on March 24 to 12:07 am on March 25.

According to the scriptures, traditionally Holika Dahan is done after sunset. This ritual involves lighting bonfires to mark the victory of good over evil.

Bhadra on the day of Holika Dahan:

Bhadra Timings: Bhadra will start at 6:33 pm on March 24 and end at 10:06 pm.

This year, Bhadra will coincide with Holika Dahan, which will begin at 6:33 pm on March 24 and end at 10:06 pm. However, there will be no influence of Bhadra during the Holika Dahan ceremony, hence there will be no disruption during the puja.

First lunar eclipse on Holi 2024:

Lunar Eclipse Timings: The lunar eclipse is expected to occur from 10:23 AM to 3:02 PM on March 25, 2024.

Although this lunar eclipse will not be visible in India, its occurrence between 10:23 am and 3:02 pm could potentially coincide with the festival of Holi. It is important to note that this lunar eclipse will have no visual effects.

Holika Dahan Ritual:

Holika Dahan Puja is traditionally performed during Pradosh Kaal or thereafter.

Worship Holika duly and prepare for Holika Dahan.

The next day after Holika Dahan, apply a pinch of Holika ash on the forehead.

It is believed that this practice keeps negative forces away. Additionally, some traditions include warding off evil by striking oneself or ill persons seven times over a bonfire with black salt, chilli and mustard.