Lucknow

It is not Gabbar Singh alone -- this time almost everyone is asking "Holi kab hai?" (when is holi?). With confusion prevailing about the Holika Dahan timing, people are equally confused on the day they will play with colours.

Astrologers have finally announced that the festival of colours is March 8. Astrologers say colour is played on the day of 'Parewa', (first day of the month of Phagun) and Holika Dahan is performed on Purnima (full moon day prior to Parewa).

This year, 'Bhadra kaal' is starting in the evening of Purnima, sothere is a debate on the timing of Holika Dahan. Pandit Rajendra Kumar Pandey said: "Everyone knows that Holika Dahan is performed a day before Holi, but most people do not know how the date and time are decided. This year there is some confusion regarding Holika Dahan and Holi. The auspicious time of Holika Dahan is decided keeping three things in mind- the date of the full moon, the time after sunset (called Pradosh Kaal) and the fact whether or not there is Bhadra Kaal.

"If there is Bhadra along with full moon, Holika Dahan can be done during the Puchha Kaal i.e. towards the end of Bhadra. In Lucknow, the Holika Dahan can be performed on the intervening night of March 6 and 7 between 12.40 a.m. to 2 a.m., because the full moon date will remain till 6.10 p.m. on the evening of March 7 and also due to the fact that Holika Dahan is carried out after sunset. Colour would be played on March 8 on the day of Parewa."

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Pandit Ram Keval Tewari said: "This year Holika Dahan will take place on the intervening night of March 6 and 7. The time could be between 12.40 a.m. to 5.56 a.m. This means Holi will be played only after 24 hours of Holika Dahan which is the rarest of rare occasions.

"Last time it happened was 28 years ago on March 26, 1994. Holika Dahan muhurta was only for a few hours in the night, because that year also the Purnima Tithi fell on two days, starting after sunset and ending before sunset the next day."