Holi in Haridwar

Date and timing in this city

In Haridwar (हरिद्वार), India, Holi follows Phalguna Purnima — the full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna — with Holika Dahan on the Purnima night and the festival of colours on the following day. Because the tithi is reckoned for Haridwar's own sunrise and sunset, the observance is tied to the local panchang rather than to a single all-India clock.

For the years given in this brief, the date in Haridwar is:

• 2026: Tuesday 3 March 2026
• 2027: Sunday 21 March 2027

Haridwar keeps India Standard Time (Asia/Kolkata). Even so, sunrise in Haridwar differs from sunrise in the far east or far south of the country, and the Purnima tithi is defined by the moon's movement, not by the clock. That is why the city's own sunrise is the reference point used here.

Why the date can differ from India

A panchang is a local document. The tithi is a span of celestial longitude between the Sun and Moon, and it begins and ends at moments that are the same everywhere; what changes from place to place is the sunrise that decides which tithi is "current" for the day's rites. When Purnima begins or ends close to a sunrise, cities a few hundred kilometres apart can assign Holika Dahan to different civil dates.

There is also the question of the lunar month itself. Traditions differ on whether the month is counted from the new moon (amanta) or the full moon (purnimanta), and Smarta and Vaishnava households may read the sequence of tithis slightly differently. Where such differences exist, families in Haridwar usually follow the panchang kept by their own lineage or the one observed at their family's place of origin. For personal observance, consulting a qualified jyotishi is the respectful course.

Where and how the community celebrates

Holi is observed pan-India, and Haridwar is no exception. The two-part shape of the festival is common: Holika Dahan on the Purnima night, and colours the next day. The deity associated with the festival is Vishnu, and Krishna is honoured in the Vaishnava reading of the season.

In a city on the Ganga, the day is generally kept as a community occasion — neighbourhoods, courtyards and family compounds rather than any single named venue. Homes, streets and open grounds fill with colour; Holika Dahan is marked with a bonfire and the traditional circumambulation. Details of local custom vary by mohalla and by family, so the safest guide is the practice of the household you are joining.

Practical tips

• Check the local Haridwar panchang for the exact window of Holika Dahan; the Purnima tithi may not span the whole night.
• Plan colours for the day after Holika Dahan, as given above for 2026 and 2027.
• Note that the date in Haridwar can differ from other Indian cities when Purnima sits near a sunrise.
• If your family tradition is amanta or purnimanta, Smarta or Vaishnava, follow that reading rather than a general one.
• For anything tied to your own chart, speak with a qualified jyotishi.