Holika Dahan 2024
In Hindu religion, Holika Dahan is organized with great enthusiasm. This festival is celebrated on the full moon day of Shukla Paksha of Phalgun month. Besides, the story related to it also has special importance. In Hindu religion, Holika Dahan 2024 is celebrated as the victory of good over evil.
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When will Holika Dahan on 2024?
Muhurat:
Sunday, March 24, 2024, from 11:13 PM to 12:44 AM, with a duration of 01 hour and 32 minutes.
Why Holika Dahan is celebrated?
This Festival is a significant Hindu festival celebrated on the full moon day of Phalgun month, symbolizing the victory of good over evil. Preparations for the festival begin 40 days before the event, with people collecting dry cow dung cakes, twigs, and leaves. On the evening of Phalgun Purnima, a fire is lit and mantras are chanted. The next morning, the ashes of the fire are applied to the body before bathing. The significance of Holika Dahan 2024 lies in the belief that strong will power can save from all evils. Holi is celebrated as the festival of victory over evil.
The legend of Holika Dahan
Holika Dahan also has mythological significance. The most popular story about this festival is the story of Prahlad, Holika and Hiranyakashyap. Prahlad, son of the demon Hiranyakashipu, was a great devotee of Lord Vishnu. At the same time, Hiranyakashyap considered Lord Narayana as his worst enemy. Despite his father’s repeated refusal, Prahlad continued worshiping Vishnu. Asuradhipati Hiranyakashipu tried to kill his son several times, but by the grace of Lord Vishnu, not a single hair was spared. Hiranyakashyap’s sister Holika was blessed with the boon that fire could not burn her. She told her brother that she would sit on the pyre of fire with Prahlad and remove the thorn in his heart. She also sat on the pyre with Prahlad, but due to the illusion of Lord Vishnu, Holika got burnt, while Prahlad did not even get the slightest flame.
A Story Related to the Burning of Holika
Lord Shri Krishna had narrated a story related to Holika Dahan to Yudhishthir. There was a demon woman in the kingdom of Raghu, an ancestor of Shri Ram. She would commit various kinds of atrocities on the townspeople. No one could kill him because he was wearing the armor of boon. He was only afraid of children. One day Guru Vashishtha told him the solution to kill that demon. He said that if children set fire to a pile of wood and grass outside the town and dance around it, it would kill him. Then the same was done and after the death of the demon, that day started being celebrated as a festival.
Mantra
1. Narasimha Mantra on Holika Dahan
Namaste Narsinhay Prahad-Alad Dayine
Hiranya-kashiporvakshah Shila-Tak-Nakhalaye
Ito Nrisinhah Parto Nrisinho
Nrisinhamadim Sharanam Prapadhey
Bahirnrisinho Hridaye Nrisinho Nrisinhadim Sharanam Prapadhey
2. Narsinha Mantra
Ugra Veeram Maha Vishnum Jwalantam Sarvato Mukham
Nrisinham Bhibhootam Bhadram Mrityurmrityum Naamah Aham
Ugra Veeram Maha Vishnum Jwalam Sarvao Mukham
Nrisinham Bhesham Bhadram Mrityormityam Namamyaham
3. Holika Dahan – Maha Laxmi Mantra
Namastestu Mahamaye Sri Peeth Sura Pujite!
Shankha Chakra Gada Haste Mahalakshmi Namostute!!
Namastetu Garudarudhai Kolasura Bhayankari!
Sarvapapa Hare Devi Mahalakshmi Namostute!!
Sarvagye Sarva Varde Sarva Dushta Bhayankari!
Sarvadukh Hare Devi Mahalakshmi Namostute!!
Siddhi Buddhi Prade Devi Bhakti Mukti Pradayani!
Mantra Murte Sada Devi Mahalakshmi Namostute!!
||Samaptam||
Pooja Materials:
The following materials should be used for Holika Pooja:
- A pitcher of water
- Garland made of cow dung
- Roli
- Rice that is not broken (also called Akshat in Sanskrit)
- Fragrance like incense sticks and incense
- Flowers
- Raw cotton thread
- Turmeric pieces
- Whole Moong Dal
- Batasha, Gulal powder and Coconut Also fully grown grains of fresh crops like wheat and gram
Some unique rules for this Festival
There are many rules which people follow on the day of Holika Dahan:
1. Keep a Ghee lamp in the northern corner of your house to attract peace and prosperity.
2. Before parikrama, it is customary to offer mustard seeds, sesame seeds, dry cow dung cakes, intact sugar, and whole wheat grains in the sacred fire.
3. The practice of Holika Dahan involves a one-day fast or consumption of sattvic foods, fruits, and dairy products before Holika Pooja.
4. The place of Holika should be smear with cow dung and holy Ganga water.
5. Holika Dahan is a day where Tantriks engage in immoral activities, and it is advised not to touch the road’s items.
6. The day of Holika Dahan is observed as a day of non-consumption of meat and alcohol.
7. On this day, it is advised to avoid wearing black or blue colored clothes as they are considered symbols of negativity.
8. Individuals with only one child are advised not to ignite a fire for Holika Dahan.
9. Newly married couples are prohibited from witnessing the fire of Holika Dahan, who died before her Phalgun Purnima wedding, as she died due to burning before the ceremony, and thus, the ritual is not suitable for them.
Holika Dahan and method of Worship
The method of worshiping Holika Dahan is given here, the Mantra is in Sanskrit.
(If someone is not able to chant those mantras, he can chant them in his own language in the same spirit.)
=>> Keep all the puja materials in a plate. Keep a small water vessel with the puja thali. Sit at the place of worship in such a way that your face is either towards east or north. Now take some cow dung and make idols of Holika and Prahlad from it. After this, sprinkle some water on the puja plate and on yourself while chanting the following mantra three times.
What is features of Holika Dahan and their importance?
The festival of Holika Dahan in Hindi symbolizes the victory of good over evil. On this day people light bonfires and remember the victory of devotee Prahlad due to his devotion towards Lord Vishnu. Apart from this, they resolve to follow the path of goodness by burning all the evils, deceits and bad habits within them in that fire. Just as evil like Holika got burnt in front of the goodness of Prahlad, similarly people burn their evils in the fire of Holika.
According to traditional beliefs, Holika is worshiped before Holika Dahan. Now this question will definitely come in your mind that Holika was demonic then why is she worshipped? Although Holika was demonic, it is believed that Holika was created to remove all fears. She was a symbol of power, wealth and prosperity. Therefore, before Holika Dahan, Holika along with Prahlad is worshipped. By worshiping on this day, a person gets freedom from all kinds of troubles in his life.
A Holika Dahan mantra is chanted while lighting the bonfire dedicated to this ceremony. Devotees respect and pray to the spirit of Holika to maintain peace and happiness. The prayer is concluded by going around the bonfire three, five or seven times with a vessel of water. Then, after the last parikrama is completed the devotees empty the vessel. Following the tradition, when people circumambulate, the heat coming from the bonfire kills the bacteria in the body and cleanses it. After the ritual of Holika Dahan, Tilak is applied on the forehead of the devotees. Ripe or roasted crops of the season are eaten. Some devotees also take some Holika ashes to their home as it is considered auspicious.
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