The Hindu calendar is based on a geocentric model of the Solar System . A geocentric model describes the Solar System as seen by an observer on the surface of the Earth.
109-410: The Hindu calendar is lunisolar but most festival dates are specified using the lunar portion of the calendar. A lunar day is uniquely identified by three calendar elements: māsa (lunar month), pakṣa (lunar fortnight) and tithi (lunar day). Furthermore, when specifying the masa, one of two traditions are applicable, viz. amānta / pūrṇimānta . If a festival falls in the waning phase of
218-500: A pakṣa , the Moon advances 180° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A cāndramāsa ( Sanskrit : चन्द्रमास ) is the time taken by the moon to move from a new moon to the next new moon (as per the amānta [ Sanskrit : अमान्त ] tradition ) or a full moon to the next full moon (as per the pūrṇimānta [ Sanskrit : पूर्णिमान्त ] tradition). In other words a cāndramāsa is the synodic period of
327-453: A cultural significance among various Hindu traditions of the Indian subcontinent. It is the festive day to end and rid oneself of past errors, to end conflicts by meeting others, a day to forget and forgive. People pay or forgive debts, as well as deal anew with those in their lives. Holi also marks the start of spring, an occasion for people to enjoy the changing seasons and make new friends. Holi
436-526: A different time zone . The full moon is generally a suboptimal time for astronomical observation of the Moon because shadows vanish. It is a poor time for other observations because the bright sunlight reflected by the Moon, amplified by the opposition surge , then outshines many stars. There are eight phases of the moon, which vary from partial to full illumination. The moon phases are also called lunar phases . These stages have different names that come from its shape and size at each phase. For example,
545-414: A full moon and the next repetition of the same phase, a synodic month , averages about 29.53 days. Because of irregularities in the moon's orbit, the new and full moons may fall up to thirteen hours either side of their mean. If the calendar date is not locally determined through observation of the new moon at the beginning of the month there is the potential for a further twelve hours difference depending on
654-570: A full moon, whereas the study conducted by the public hospitals in Australia found that they were less likely. The symbol of the Triple Goddess is drawn with the circular image of the full moon in the center flanked by a left facing crescent and right facing crescent, on either side, representing a maiden, mother and crone archetype. Historically, month names are names of moons ( lunations , not necessarily full moons) in lunisolar calendars . Since
763-489: A ghaṭikā, or just under 24 seconds. A prāṇa ( Sanskrit : प्राण ) or asu ( Sanskrit : असु ) is one sixth of a vighaṭikā, or just under four seconds. Sāvana māna ( Sanskrit : सावन मान ) of the Hindu calendar defines civil time . A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time between two succeeding sunrises. dina corresponds to the concept of a solar day . The length of a dina varies with daytime length . Apart from
872-463: A high-spirited festival to mark the beginning of the harvesting of the summer crop, with the throwing of coloured water and powder and singing and dancing. Traditionally, in rural Karnataka , children collect money and wood in the weeks prior to Holi, and on "Kamadahana" night, all the wood is put together and lit. The festival is celebrated for two days. People in northern parts of Karnataka prepare special food on this day. In Sirsi , Karnataka, Holi
981-581: A list of full moon names that it said "were named by our early English ancestors as follows": Winter Moons: Moon after Yule, Wolf Moon, Lenten Moon Spring Moons: Egg Moon, Milk Moon, Flower Moon Summer Moons: Hay Moon, Grain Moon, Fruit Moon Fall Moons: Harvest Moon, Hunter's Moon, Moon before Yule It also mentioned blue moon . These were considered in some quarters to be Native American full moon names, and some were adopted by colonial Americans . The Farmers' Almanac (since 1955 published in Maine, but not
1090-520: A list of twelve moons with Indian and English names. While I cannot contradict so positive and minute a statement of one so thoroughly in a position to know, I must assert with equal positiveness that I have never met any wild Indians, of the Sioux or other Plains tribes, who had a permanent, common, conventional name for any moon. The looseness of Belden's general statement, that "Indians compute time like white people," when his only particularization of similarity
1199-410: A result of the non-circularity of the Moon's orbit. See New moon for an explanation of the formula and its parameters. The age and apparent size of the full moon vary in a cycle of just under 14 synodic months , which has been referred to as a full moon cycle . When the Moon moves into Earth's shadow , a lunar eclipse occurs, during which all or part of the Moon's face may appear reddish due to
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#17330936946711308-498: A song for the festival, while poets such as Amir Khusrau , Ibrahim Raskhan , Nazeer Akbarabadi and Mehjoor Lakhnavi relished it in their writings. Sikhs have traditionally celebrated the festival, at least through the 19th century, with its historic texts referring to it as Hola . Guru Gobind Singh – the last human guru of the Sikhs – modified Holi with a three-day Hola Mohalla extension festival of martial arts. The extension started
1417-410: A sāvana dina Above that a nakṣatra dina is divided into ghaṭikā (of 24 modern minutes each) and vighaṭikā (of 24 modern seconds each). These same units are used to subdivide a savana dina using sunrise as the starting point, i.e. the first 24 minutes after sunrise constitute the first ghaṭikā, the next 24 minutes the second ghaṭikā and so on. pitṛpakṣa pitṛpakṣa ( Sanskrit : पितृपक्ष )
1526-561: Is a cultural celebration that gives Hindus and non-Hindus alike an opportunity to have fun banter with other people by throwing coloured water and powder at each other. It is also observed broadly on the Indian subcontinent . Holi is celebrated at the end of winter, on the last full moon day of the Hindu luni-solar calendar month, marking the spring, making the date vary with the lunar cycle. The date falls typically in March, but sometimes late February of
1635-485: Is a difference among authorities as to whether or not the moons themselves are named. Brown gives names for nine moons corresponding to months. Maximillian gives the names of twelve moons; and Belden, who lived many years among the Sioux, asserts that "the Indians compute their time very much as white men do, only they use moons instead of months to designate the seasons, each answering to some month in our calendar." Then follows
1744-569: Is a pakṣa during which the Sun crosses the equator and transitions overhead the southern hemisphere, i.e. the autumnal equinox occurs within pitṛpakṣa. bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa is identified with pitṛpakṣa. This identification is not always correct. For instance, in the Gregorian year 2020, bhādrapada māsa kṛṣṇa pakṣa ended with the new moon on 17 September while autumnal equinox occurred five days later, on 22 September. Full moon The full moon
1853-497: Is a part of the Goan or Konkani spring festival known as Śigmo or शिगमो in Koṅkaṇī or Śiśirotsava , which lasts for about a month. The colour festival or Holi is a part of longer, more extensive spring festival celebrations. Holi festivities (but not Śigmo festivities) include: Holika Puja and Dahan , Dhulvad or Dhuli vandan , Haldune or offering yellow and saffron colour or Gulal to
1962-555: Is also an invocation for a good spring harvest season. It lasts for a night and a day, starting on the evening of the Purnima (full moon day) falling on the Hindu calendar month of Phalguna , which falls around the middle of March in the Gregorian calendar . Holi ( Hindi : होली , Gujarati : હોળી , Kannada : ಹೋಳಿ , Marathi : होळी , Nepali : होली , Punjabi : ਹੋਲੀ , Telugu : హోళి )
2071-679: Is also known as Dol Jatra (swing festival") and Bôshonto Utshôb ( Bengali : বসন্ত উৎসব ) ("spring festival") in Bengal ( West Bengal and Bangladesh ), Phakua ( Assamese : ফাকুৱা ) and Dôl Jātrā ( Assamese : দ’ল যাত্ৰা ) in Assam , Phāgu Pūrṇimā ( Nepali : फागु पूर्णिमा ) in the hilly region of Nepal , Dola jātra ( Odia : ଦୋଳଯାତ୍ରା ) in Odisha , Fagua or Phagua ( Bhojpuri : 𑂤𑂏𑂳𑂄 ) in eastern Uttar Pradesh , western Bihar , and northwestern Jharkhand , Phagwah ( Caribbean Hindustani : पगवा) in
2180-437: Is also possible that an entire tithi elapses between two sunrises, i.e. the Moon traverses a 12° arc in between two sunrises (it enters the arc after one sunrise and exits the arc before the next sunrise). In this such a case, neither sāvana dina will be associated with this tithi, i.e. this tithi will be skipped over in the calendar. Such a tithi is referred to as a kṣaya ( Sanskrit : क्षय ) (lost) tithi . Subdivisions of
2289-419: Is between the months and moons, is in itself sufficient to render the whole statement questionable. My experience is that the Indian, in attempting to fix on a particular moon, will designate it by some natural and well-known phenomenon which culminates during that moon. But two Indians of the same tribe may fix on different designations; and even the same Indian, on different occasions, may give different names to
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#17330936946712398-421: Is called Holika Dahan or "Chhoti Holi" whereby people gather around a lit bonfire, symbolising the victory of good over evil as well as the removal of the old and arrival of the new. Various rituals are performed around the fire such as singing and dancing. This ritual is derived from the story of Holika , who attempted to kill Prahlada, the son of Hiranyakashipu , through the flames of a bonfire. Although Holika
2507-544: Is celebrated in some parts of India . The festival of colours in these parts is called Rangapanchami , and occurs on the fifth day after Poornima (full moon). The Holi festival is an ancient Hindu festival with its own cultural rituals which emerged before the Gupta period. The festival of colours finds mentioned in numerous scriptures, such as in works like Jaimini's Purva Mimamsa Sutras and Kathaka-Grhya-Sutras with even more detailed descriptions in ancient texts like
2616-403: Is celebrated with a unique folk dance called "Bedara Vesha", which is performed during the nights beginning five days before the actual festival day. The festival is celebrated every alternate year in the town, which attracts a large number of tourists from different parts of India. In Maharashtra , Holi Purnima is also celebrated as Shimga, festivities that last five to seven days. A week before
2725-568: Is common in some Caribbean communities of Indian origin such as Guyana , Suriname , Trinidad and Tobago , and Jamaica . It is also celebrated with great fervour in Mauritius , Fiji , and South Africa . There is a symbolic legend found in the 7th chapter of the Bhagavata Purana explaining why Holi is celebrated as a festival of triumph of good over evil in the honour of Hindu god Vishnu and his devotee Prahlada . King Hiranyakashipu ,
2834-445: Is considered to be dvādaśī tithi. adhika tithi and kṣaya tithi It is possible that two consecutive sunrises may have the same tithi, i.e. the Moon continues to remain within the same 12° arc across two consecutive sunrises. In such a case, two consecutive sāvana dina will be associated with the same tithi. The tithi associated with the second sāvana dina is referred to as a adhika ( Sanskrit : अधिक ) (additional) tithi . It
2943-452: Is known as a saṅkramaṇa ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रमण ) or saṅkrānti ( Sanskrit : सङ्क्रान्ति ). These time periods are defined based on the solstices ( Sanskrit : अयन; IAST : ayana ) and equinoxes ( Sanskrit : विषुवत्; IAST : viṣuvat ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the winter solstice to the summer solstice is known as northward movement ( Sanskrit : उत्तरायण , romanized : uttarāyaṇa ) and time taken by
3052-476: Is mostly restricted to this plane of reference . Lunar eclipses happen only when the full moon occurs around either node of its orbit (ascending or descending). Therefore, a lunar eclipse occurs about every six months, and often two weeks before or after a solar eclipse , which occurs during a new moon around the opposite node. In Buddhism, Vesak is celebrated on the full moon day of the Vaisakha month, marking
3161-646: Is no strong evidence for effects on human behavior around the time of a full moon. They find that studies are generally not consistent, with some showing a positive effect and others showing a negative effect. In one instance, the 23 December 2000 issue of the British Medical Journal published two studies on dog bite admission to hospitals in England and Australia. The study of the Bradford Royal Infirmary found that dog bites were twice as common during
3270-466: Is not an indigenous idea, but borrowed from the whites. Jonathan Carver's list of purportedly Native American month names was adopted in the 19th century by the Improved Order of Red Men , an all-white U.S. fraternal organization. They called the month of January "Cold moon", the rest being Snow, Worm, Plant, Flower, Hot, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn, Travelling, Beaver and Hunting moon. They numbered years from
3379-660: Is noted in the dates of Passover and Easter in Judaism and Christianity, respectively. Passover falls on the full moon on 15 Nisan of the Hebrew calendar. The date of the Jewish Rosh Hashana and Sukkot festivals along with all other Jewish holidays are dependent on the dates of the new moons. In lunisolar calendars, an intercalary month occurs seven times in the 19 years of the Metonic cycle , or on average every 2.7 years (19/7). In
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3488-495: Is of particular significance in the Braj region, which includes locations traditionally associated with Radha Krishna : Mathura , Vrindavan , Nandgaon , Barsana , and Gokula . These places are popular tourist attractions during Holi. Outside India, Holi is observed by Hindus in Nepal , Bangladesh and Pakistan as well as in countries with large diaspora populations from India around
3597-477: Is shorter than the saura māna varṣa by about eleven sāvana dina. As a result, unless explicitly synchronised, these two parts of the calendar will diverge over time, as the cāndra māna varṣa will keep "falling behind" the saura māna varṣa. In order to synchronise these two parts of the calendar, an additional cāndramāsa is introduced into some cāndra māna varṣa. Such a cāndramāsa is referred to as adhikamāsa ( Sanskrit : अधिकमास ) . A adhikamāsa takes its name from
3706-521: Is the lunar phase when the Moon appears fully illuminated from Earth's perspective. This occurs when Earth is located between the Sun and the Moon (when the ecliptic longitudes of the Sun and Moon differ by 180° ). This means that the lunar hemisphere facing Earth—the near side —is completely sunlit and appears as an approximately circular disk. The full moon occurs roughly once a month. The time interval between
3815-573: Is the full moon following it. The names are recorded from the early 18th century. The Oxford English Dictionary entry for "harvest moon" cites a 1706 reference, and for "hunter's moon" a 1710 edition of The British Apollo , which attributes the term to "the country people" ("The Country People call this the Hunters-Moon.") The names became traditional in American folklore , where they are now often popularly attributed to Native Americans . The Feast of
3924-459: Is the time taken by the Sun to orbit the Earth once and return to the starting point with respect to the fixed stars. The starting point is taken to be the position of the Sun when it is in opposition to Spica ( Sanskrit : चित्रा , romanized : citrā ). . A rāśi ( Sanskrit : राशि ) is a 30° arc of the orbit of the Sun around the Earth (i.e an arc of the ecliptic ). Starting in
4033-409: Is then associated with the entire sāvana dina. To illustrate: consider the Gregorian date 18th Sep 2021 . Instead of referring to it as "2nd dina of kanyā masa" Hindus will refer to it as " bhādrapada māsa, śukla pakṣa, dvitiyā tithi", which is the tithi prevailing at sunrise on that sāvana dina. Even though the Moon moves into the trayodaśī arc soon after sunrise (at 6:54AM), that entire sāvana dina
4142-528: The Narada Purana and Bhavishya Purana . The festival of "holikotsav" was also mentioned in the 7th century work, Ratnavali , by King Harsha . It is mentioned in the Puranas , Dasakumara Charita by Daṇḍin , and by the poet Kālidāsa during the 4th century reign of Chandragupta II . The celebration of Holi is also mentioned in the 7th-century Sanskrit drama Ratnavali . The festival of Holi caught
4251-542: The Caribbean (namely Trinidad and Tobago , Guyana , Suriname , and Jamaica ), and Phagua ( Fiji Hindi : पगवा ) in Fiji . The main day of the celebration is known as "Holi", "Rangwali Holi", " Dol Purnima ", "Dhuleti", "Dhulandi", "Ukuli", "Manjal Kuli", " Yaosang ", " Shigmo ", "Phagwah", or "Jajiri". Holi is a sacred ancient tradition of Hindus, a holiday in many states of India with regional holidays in other countries. It
4360-545: The Lal Qila , where the festival was also known as Eid-e-gulaabi or Aab-e-Pashi . Mehfils were held throughout the walled city of Delhi with aristocrats and traders alike participating. This changed during the rule of Emperor Aurangzeb. He banned the public celebration of Holi using a Farman issue in November 1665. However, the celebration were later restarted after the death of Emperor Aurangzeb. Bahadur Shah Zafar himself wrote
4469-508: The Rayleigh scattering of blue wavelengths and the refraction of sunlight through Earth's atmosphere . Lunar eclipses happen only during a full moon and around points on its orbit where the satellite may pass through the planet's shadow. A lunar eclipse does not occur every month because the Moon's orbit is inclined 5.145° with respect to the ecliptic plane of Earth; thus, the Moon usually passes north or south of Earth's shadow, which
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4578-504: The pakṣa , i.e. prathama (first), dvitīya (second) etc. The fifteenth, that is, the last tithi of a kṛṣṇa pakṣa is called amāvāsya (new moon) and the fifteenth tithi of a śukla pakṣa is called pūrṇimā (full moon). The saura māna ( Sanskrit : सौर मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined by the movement of the Earth around the Sun. It contains sidereal ( Sanskrit : निरयन; nirayana ) and tropical ( Sanskrit : सायन; sāyana ) elements. A saura māna varṣa or sidereal year
4687-744: The Bilawal gardens, where decorative tents were set up. In 1837, Sir Henry Fane who was the commander-in-chief of the British Indian army joined the Holi celebrations organised by Ranjit Singh. A mural in the Lahore Fort was sponsored by Ranjit Singh and it showed the Hindu god Krishna playing Holi with gopis . After the death of Ranjit Singh, his Sikh sons and others continued to play Holi every year with colours and lavish festivities. The colonial British officials joined these celebrations. The night before Holi
4796-399: The Earth on its axis. This definition is not used in practice but is required for defining the following smaller units of time. Ā dina is ~4 minutes short of 24 hours. A ghaṭikā ( Sanskrit : घटिका ) or nāḍī ( Sanskrit : नाडी ) is one sixtieth of a nakṣatra dina, or just under 24 minutes. A vighaṭikā ( Sanskrit : विघटिका ) or vināḍī ( Sanskrit : विनाडी ) is one sixtieth of
4905-422: The Earth. Ṛtu corresponds to the concept of a season. The six ṛtu of the year are known as Nākṣatra māna ( Sanskrit : नाक्षत्र मान ) is defined with respect to the fixed stars, so all elements are sidereal in nature. A dina ( Sanskrit : दिन ) is the time taken by the celestial sphere to complete one sidereal rotation around the Earth. In reality, this movement is caused by the diurnal rotation of
5014-524: The Gregorian calendar. The festival has many purposes; most prominently, it celebrates the beginning of Spring. In 17th century literature, it was identified as a festival that celebrated agriculture, commemorated good spring harvests, and the fertile land. Hindus believe it is a time to enjoying spring's abundant colours and say farewell to winter. To many Hindus, Holi festivities mark an occasion to reset and renew ruptured relationships , end conflicts, and rid themselves of accumulated emotional impurities from
5123-531: The Hindu calendar The Hindu calendar defines nine measures of time ( Sanskrit : मान IAST : māna ): Of these, only the last four are in active use and are explained here. The candra māna ( Sanskrit : चन्द्र मान ) of the Hindu calendar is defined based on the movement of the Moon around the Earth. The new moon ( Sanskrit : अमावास्य , romanized : amāvāsya ) and full moon ( Sanskrit : पूर्णिमा , romanized : pūrṇimā ) are important markers in this calendar. The candra māna of
5232-439: The Hindu calendar defines the following synodic calendar elements: A pakṣa ( Sanskrit : पक्ष ) is the time taken by the Moon to move from a new moon to a full moon and vice versa. The waxing phase of the moon is known as the bright side ( Sanskrit : शुक्ल पक्ष , romanized : śukla pakṣa ) and the waning phase is known as the dark side ( Sanskrit : कृष्ण पक्ष , romanized : kṛṣṇa pakṣa ). During
5341-523: The Holi festivity. Holi is known as Phaguwa or Fagua in the Bhojpuri language. In this region as well, the legend of Holika is prevalent. On the eve of Phalgun Poornima, people light bonfires. They put dried cow dung cakes, wood of the Araad or Redi tree and Holika tree, grains from the fresh harvest and unwanted wood leaves in the bonfire. At the time of Holika people assemble near the pyre. The eldest member of
5450-528: The Hunters' Moon is a yearly festival in West Lafayette, Indiana , held in late September or early October each year since 1968. In 2010 the harvest moon occurred on the night of the equinox itself (some 5 1 ⁄ 2 hours after the moment of equinox) for the first time since 1991, after a period known as the Metonic cycle . All full moons rise around the time of sunset. Since the Moon moves eastward among
5559-434: The Moon's color. Clear skies often enhance the yellow or golden appearance, particularly during the autumn months when these full moons are observed. Lunar eclipses occur only at a full moon and often cause a reddish hue on the near side of the Moon . This full moon has been called a blood moon in popular culture. The "harvest moon" and the "hunter's moon" are traditional names for the full moons in late summer and in
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#17330936946715668-404: The Moon, or two pakṣas . During a cāndramāsa , the Moon advances 360° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. A candra māna varṣa or lunar year is made up of 12 consecutive candramāsa . These twelve candramāsa are designated by unique names caitra , vaiśākha , etc. In some instances an additional candramāsa , known as an adhikamāsa , is added to synchronise the candra māna varṣa with
5777-415: The Sun to move from the spring equinox ( ecliptic longitude 0°) to the autumnal equinox (ecliptic longitude 180°) is known as devayāna ( Sanskrit : देवयान ). The time taken by the Sun to move from the autumnal equinox to the spring equinox is designated as pitṛyāṇa ( Sanskrit : पितृयाण ). Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to be in the north celestial sphere during devayāna and
5886-487: The Sun to move from the summer solstice to the winter solstice is called southward movement Sanskrit : दक्षिणायन , romanized : dakṣiṇāyana . Due to the axial tilt of the Earth, the Sun appears to move towards the north from the Tropic of Capricorn to the Tropic of Cancer during uttarāyaṇa , and towards the south from the tropic of Cancer to the tropic of Capricorn during dakṣiṇāyana . The time taken by
5995-432: The agricultural season of the rabi crop . In some places, there is a custom in undivided Hindu families that the woman beats her brother-in-law with a sari rolled up into a rope in a mock rage and tries to drench him with colours, and in turn, the brother-in-law brings sweets (Indian desserts) to her in the evening. In Jammu and Kashmir , Holi celebrations are much in line with the general definition of Holi celebrations:
6104-600: The autumn in the Northern Hemisphere , usually in September and October, respectively. People may celebrate these occurrences in festivities such as the Chinese Mid-Autumn Festival . The "harvest moon" (also known as the "barley moon" or "full corn moon") is the full moon nearest to the autumnal equinox (22 or 23 September), occurring anytime within two weeks before or after that date. The "hunter's moon"
6213-505: The birth, enlightenment, and the death of the Buddha. In Arabic, badr (بدر ) means 'full moon', but it is often translated as 'white moon', referring to The White Days , the three days when the full moon is celebrated. Full moons are traditionally associated with insomnia (inability to sleep), insanity (hence the terms lunacy and lunatic ) and various "magical phenomena" such as lycanthropy . Psychologists, however, have found that there
6322-425: The boy or his resolve to do what he thought was right. Finally, Holika, Prahlada's evil aunt, tricked him into sitting on a pyre with her. Holika was wearing a cloak that made her immune to injury from fire, while Prahlada was not. As the fire spread, the cloak flew from Holika and encased Prahlada, who survived while Holika burned. Vishnu, the god who appears as an avatar to restore Dharma in Hindu beliefs, took
6431-459: The celebration of the symbolic victory of good over evil, of Prahlada over Hiranyakashipu, and of the fire that burned Holika . Among other Hindu traditions such as Shaivism and Shaktism , the legendary significance of Holi is linked to Shiva in yoga and deep meditation. Goddess Parvati wanting to bring Shiva back into the world, seeks help from the Hindu god of love called Kamadeva on Vasant Panchami . The love god shoots arrows at Shiva,
6540-427: The crescent moon is 'banana' shaped, and the half-moon is D-shaped. When the moon is nearly full, it is called a gibbous moon. The crescent and gibbous moons each last approximately a week. Each phase is also described in accordance to its position on the full 29.5-day cycle. The eight phases of the moon in order: The date and approximate time of a specific full moon (assuming a circular orbit) can be calculated from
6649-420: The cāndra māna and sāvana māna of the calendar define the concept of a day as tithi and dina respectively. dina are not named and are not used for calendric purposes. The tithi takes precedence instead. Human life is regulated by the rising of the Sun and not by the movement of the Moon through a 12° arc. Hence, the position of the Moon at sunrise is used to determine the tithi prevailing at sunrise. This tithi
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#17330936946716758-618: The day after the Holi festival in Anandpur Sahib , where Sikh soldiers would train in mock battles, compete in horsemanship, athletics, archery and military exercises. Holi was observed by Maharaja Ranjit Singh and his Sikh Empire that extended across what are now northern parts of India and Pakistan. According to a report by Tribune India, Sikh court records state that 300 mounds of colours were used in 1837 by Ranjit Singh and his officials in Lahore . Ranjit Singh would celebrate Holi with others in
6867-475: The day of Rang Panchami , five days after Shimga. During this festival, people are supposed to forget and forgive any rivalries and start new healthy relations with all. Manipuris celebrate Holi for 6 days. Here, this holiday merges with the festival of Yaosang . Traditionally, the festival commences with the burning of a thatched hut of hay and twigs. Young children go from house to house to collect money, locally known as nakadeng (or nakatheng ), as gifts on
6976-503: The day of Holi where the icons of Jagannath replace the icons of Krishna and Radha. Dola Melana, processions of the deities are celebrated in villages and bhoga is offered to the deities. "Dola yatra" was prevalent even before 1560 much before Holi was started where the idols of Jagannath , Balabhadra and Subhadra used to be taken to the "Dolamandapa" (podium in Jagannath temple ). People used to offer natural colours known as "abira" to
7085-617: The day, people visit family, and friends and foes come together to chat, enjoy food and drinks, and partake in Holi delicacies. Holi is also a festival of forgiveness and new starts, which ritually aims to generate harmony in society. Many cities in Uttar Pradesh also organise Kavi sammelan in the evening. Groups sing and dance, some playing drums and dholak . After each stop of fun and play with colours, people offer gujiya , mathri , malpuas and other traditional delicacies. Cold drinks, including drinks made with marijuana, are also part of
7194-477: The deities and apply on each other's feats. In Punjab , the eight days preceding Holi are known as luhatak. Sekhon (2000) states that people start throwing colours many days before Holi. Holi is preceded by Holika Dahan the night before when a fire is lit. Historically, the Lubana community of Punjab celebrated holi "with great pomp and show. The Lubanas buried a pice and betel nut. They heaped up cow-dung cakes over
7303-463: The deity. In Gujarat , Holi is a two-day festival. On the evening of the first day, a bonfire is lit and raw coconut and corn is offered to the fire. The second day is the festival of colour or "Dhuleti", celebrated by sprinkling coloured water and applying colours to each other. Dwarka , a coastal city of Gujarat, celebrates Holi at the Dwarkadhish temple with citywide music festivities. Holi marks
7412-401: The evening of Holi, day after Holi with wet colours is played in the morning through the afternoon. Due to large-scale internal migration issues faced by the people, recently, this tradition has slowly begun to transform, and it is common to have Holi Milan on an entirely different day either before or after the actual day of Holi. Children and youths take extreme delight in the festival. Though
7521-439: The fair-skinned Radha would like him because of his dark skin colour. His mother Yashoda , tired of his desperation, asks him to approach Radha and ask her to colour his face in any colour she wanted. This Radha did, and Radha and Krishna became a couple. Ever since, the playful colouring of Radha and Krishna's faces has been commemorated as Holi. Beyond India, these legends help to explain the significance of Holi ( Phagwah ), which
7630-481: The fascination of European traders and British colonial staff by the 17th century. Various old editions of the Oxford English Dictionary mention it, but with varying, phonetically derived spellings: Houly (1687), Hooly (1698), Huli (1789), Hohlee (1809), Hoolee (1825), and Holi in editions published after 1910. In the Braj region of India, where the Hindu deities Radha and Krishna grew up,
7739-626: The father of Prahlada, was the king of demonic Asuras and had earned a boon that gave him five special powers: he could be killed by neither a human being nor an animal, neither indoors nor outdoors, neither at day nor at night, neither by astra (projectile weapons) nor by any shastra (handheld weapons), and neither on land nor in water or air. Hiranyakashipu grew arrogant, thought he was God, and demanded that everyone worship only him. Hiranyakashipu's own son, Prahlada , however, remained devoted to Vishnu . This infuriated Hiranyakashipu. He subjected Prahlada to cruel punishments, none of which affected
7848-444: The festival is celebrated until Rang Panchmi in commemoration of their divine love for each other. The festivities officially usher in spring, with Holi celebrated as a festival of love. Garga Samhita , a puranic work by Sage Garga was the first work of literature to mention the romantic description of Radha and Krishna playing Holi. There is also a popular symbolic legend behind the festival. In his youth, Krishna despaired whether
7957-427: The festival is usually celebrated with colours, in some places, people also enjoy celebrating Holi with water solutions of mud or clay. Folk songs are sung at high pitch and people dance to the sound of the dholak (a two-headed hand-drum) and the spirit of Holi. Intoxicating bhang , made from cannabis , milk and spices, is consumed with a variety of mouth-watering delicacies, such as pakoras and thandai , to enhance
8066-446: The festival, youngsters go around the community, collecting firewood and money. On the day of Shimga, the firewood is heaped into a huge pile in each neighbourhood. In the evening, the fire is lit. Every household brings a meal and dessert, in the honour of the fire god. Puran Poli is the main delicacy and children shout "Holi re Holi puranachi poli". Shimga celebrates the elimination of all evil. The colour celebrations here take place on
8175-493: The first lunar month after the winter solstice could be called the Wolf, Quiet, Snow, Cold, Chaste or Disting Moon, or the Moon of Little Winter. For the last lunar month Conway offered the names Cold, Oak or Wolf Moon, or Moon of Long Nights, Long Night's Moon, Aerra Geola (Month Before Yule), Wintermonat (Winter Month), Heilagmanoth (Holy Month), Big Winter Moon, Moon of Popping Trees. Conway did not cite specific sources for most of
8284-424: The first two days. The youths at night perform a group folk dance called Thabal chongba on the full moon night of Lamta ( Phalgun ), traditionally accompanied by folk songs and rhythmic beats of the indigenous drum, but nowadays by modern bands and fluorescent lamps . In Krishna temples, devotees sing devotional songs, perform dances and celebrate with aber ( gulal ) wearing traditional white and yellow turbans. On
8393-457: The following equation: where d is the number of days since 1 January 2000 00:00:00 in the Terrestrial Time scale used in astronomical ephemerides ; for Universal Time (UT) add the following approximate correction to d : where N is the number of full moons since the first full moon of 2000. The true time of a full moon may differ from this approximation by up to about 14.5 hours as
8502-440: The form of Narasimha – half human and half lion (which is neither a human nor an animal), at dusk (when it was neither day nor night), took Hiranyakashyapu at a doorstep (which was neither indoors nor outdoors), placed him on his lap (which was neither land, water nor air), and then eviscerated and killed the king with his lion claws (which were neither a handheld weapon nor a launched weapon). The Holika bonfire and Holi signifies
8611-409: The four māna explained above, the concept of nakṣatra is an important characteristic of the Hindu calendar. This term has multiple meanings: The four māna explained above are used in combination in the Hindu calendar. adhikamāsa As seen above, both the cāndra māna and saura māna of the calendar define a varṣa comprising twelve māsa, but the duration of the varṣa differ; the cāndra māna varṣa
8720-528: The full moons of autumn. The golden or reddish hue of the Harvest Moon and other full moons near the horizon is caused by atmospheric scattering. When the Moon is low in the sky, its light passes through a thicker layer of Earth's atmosphere, scattering shorter wavelengths like blue and violet and allowing longer wavelengths, such as red and yellow, to dominate. This effect, combined with environmental factors such as dust, pollutants, or haze, can intensify or dull
8829-502: The gathering or a purohit initiates the lighting. He then smears others with colour as a mark of greeting. Next day the festival is celebrated with colours and a lot of frolic. Traditionally, people also clean their houses to mark the festival. Holi Milan is also observed in Bihar , where family members and well-wishers visit each other's family, apply colours ( abeer ) on each other's faces, and on feet, if elderly. Usually, this takes place on
8938-581: The individual tribal groups they were supposedly associated with. Haddock supposes that certain "Colonial American" moon names were adopted from Algonquian languages (which were formerly spoken in the territory of New England), while others are based in European tradition (e.g. the Colonial American names for the May moon, "Milk Moon", "Mother's Moon", "Hare Moon" have no parallels in the supposed native names, while
9047-448: The intercalation system used. Because a calendar month consists of a whole number of days, a month in a lunar calendar may be either 29 or 30 days long. A full moon is often thought of as an event of a full night's duration, although its phase seen from Earth continuously waxes or wanes, and is full only at the instant when waxing ends and waning begins. For any given location, about half of these maximum full moons may be visible, while
9156-603: The introduction of the solar Julian calendar in the Roman Empire, and later the Gregorian calendar worldwide, people no longer perceive month names as "moon" names. The traditional Old English month names were equated with the names of the Julian calendar from an early time, soon after Christianization , according to the testimony of Bede around AD 700. Some full moons have developed new names in modern times, such as " blue moon ", as well as "harvest moon" and "hunter's moon" for
9265-473: The last day of the festival, large processions are taken out to the main Krishna temple near Imphal where several cultural activities are held. In recent decades, Yaosang , a type of Indian sport, has become common in many places of the valley, where people of all ages come out to participate in a number of sports that are somewhat altered for the holiday. The people of Odisha celebrate Dola or Pushpadola on
9374-626: The mood of the festival. In the Kanpur , Holi lasts for seven days. On the last day, a fair called Ganga Mela or the Holi Mela is celebrated. The fair was started by freedom fighters who fought British rule. In Gorakhpur district of Uttar Pradesh, a special event called "Holi Milan" is celebrated. Holi is locally called Ukkuli in Konkani . It is celebrated around the Konkani temple called Gosripuram temple. It
9483-453: The moon, these two traditions identify the same lunar day as falling in two different (but successive) masa. Traditional Holi ( Hindi pronunciation: ['hoːli:] ) is a popular and significant Hindu festival celebrated as the Festival of Colours , Love , and Spring . It celebrates the eternal and divine love of the deities Radha and Krishna . Additionally, the day signifies
9592-528: The name of November, "Beaver Moon" is supposedly based in an Algonquian language). Many other names have been reported. These have passed into modern mythology, either as full-moon names, or as names for lunar months. Deanna J. Conway's Moon Magick: Myth & Magick, Crafts & Recipes, Rituals & Spells (1995) gave as headline names for the lunar months (from January): Wolf, Ice, Storm, Growing, Hare, Mead, Hay, Corn, Harvest, Blood, Snow, Cold. Conway also gave multiple alternative names for each month, e.g.
9701-420: The name of the cāndramāsa which follows, viz. adhika āśvina precedes āśvina. Most times every cāndramāsa witnesses a saṅkramaṇa . If a cāndramāsa does not witness a saṅkramaṇa, that cāndramāsa is designated as a adhikamāsa thus resulting in the cāndra māna varṣa "catching up" with the saura māna varṣa. This happens approximately once every two and a half (solar) years. dina and tithi As seen above, both
9810-404: The names of the full moons as such, but were the names of lunar months beginning with each new moon . According to Jonathan Carver in 1778, "Some nations among them reckon their years by moons, and make them consist of twelve synodical or lunar months, observing, when thirty moons have waned, to add a supernumerary one, which they term the lost moon; and then begin to count as before." Carver gave
9919-603: The names of the lunar months (starting from the first after the March equinox ) as Worm, Plants, Flowers, Hot, Buck, Sturgeon, Corn, Travelling, Beaver, Hunting, Cold, Snow. Carver's account was reproduced verbatim in Events in Indian History (1841), but completely different lists were given by Eugene Vetromile (1856) and Peter Jones (1861). In a book on Native American culture published in 1882, Richard Irving Dodge stated: There
10028-520: The names she listed, but some have gained wider currency as full-moon names, such as Pink Moon for a full moon in April, Long Night's Moon for the last in December and Ice Moon for the first full moon of January or February. In Hinduism, most festivals are celebrated on auspicious days. Many Hindu festivals are celebrated on days with a full moon night, called the purnima . Different parts of India celebrate
10137-498: The next, as seen from about 40° N or S latitude (because the full moon of September 2007 rose in the northeast rather than in the east). Hence, no long period of darkness occurred between sunset and moonrise for several days after the full moon, thus lengthening the time in the evening when there is enough twilight and moonlight to work to get the harvest in. Various 18th and 19th century writers gave what were claimed to be Native American or First Nations moon names. These were not
10246-662: The other half occurs during the day, when the full moon is below the horizon. As the Moon's orbit is inclined by 5.145° from the ecliptic, it is not generally perfectly opposite from the Sun during full phase, therefore a full moon is in general not perfectly full except on nights with a lunar eclipse as the Moon crosses the ecliptic at opposition from the Sun. Many almanacs list full moons not only by date, but also by their exact time, usually in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Typical monthly calendars that include lunar phases may be offset by one day when prepared for
10355-916: The past. It also has a religious purpose, symbolically signified by the legend of Holika. The night before Holi, bonfires are lit in a ceremony known as Holika Dahan (burning of Holika ) or Little Holi. People gather near fires, sing and dance. The next day, Holi, also known as Dhuli in Sanskrit, or Dhulheti , Dhulandi or Dhulendi , is celebrated. In Northern parts of India, children and youth spray coloured powder solutions ( gulal ) at each other, laugh, and celebrate, while adults smear dry coloured powder ( abir ) on each other's faces. Visitors to homes are first teased with colours, then served with Holi delicacies (such as gujia, shakkarpaare, matri, and dahi-bada ), desserts and drinks. After playing with colours, and cleaning up, people bathe, put on clean clothes, and visit friends and family. Like Holika Dahan, Kama Dahanam
10464-483: The same festival with different names, as listed below: Most pre-modern calendars the world over were lunisolar , combining the solar year with the lunation by means of intercalary months . The Julian calendar abandoned this method in favour of a purely solar reckoning while conversely the 7th-century Islamic calendar opted for a purely lunar one. A continuing lunisolar calendar is the Hebrew calendar . Evidence of this
10573-423: The same moon. Thus, an Indian of the middle Plains will to-day designate a spring moon as "the moon when corn is planted;" to-morrow, speaking of the same moon, he may call it "the moon when the buffalo comes." Moreover, though there are thirteen moons in our year, no observer has ever given an Indian name to the thirteenth. My opinion is, that if any of the wild tribes have given conventional names to twelve moons, it
10682-465: The same publication as the Maine Farmers' Almanac ) continues to print such names. Such names have gained currency in American folklore . They appeared in print more widely outside of the almanac tradition from the 1990s in popular publications about the Moon. Mysteries of the Moon by Patricia Haddock ("Great Mysteries Series", Greenhaven Press, 1992) gave an extensive list of such names along with
10791-464: The solar year or saura māna varṣa . A tithi ( Sanskrit : तिथि ) is the time taken by the Moon to advance 12° with respect to the Earth-Sun axis. In other words a tithi is the time taken for the Moon's elongation (on the ecliptic plane ) to increase by 12°. A tithi is one fifteenth of a pakṣa and one thirtieth of a cāndramāsa . A tithi corresponds to the concept of a lunar day. Tithi have Sanskrit numbers according by their position in
10900-407: The south celestial sphere during pitṛyāṇa . In Hindu tradition, the north celestial sphere is consecrated to the gods (deva) and the south celestial sphere is consecrated to the ancestors (pitṛ). Devayāna and pitṛyāṇa are not in active calendric use any longer but do form the basis for pitṛpakṣa . A ṛtu ( Sanskrit : ऋतु ) is the time taken by the Sun to move sixty degrees on its orbit around
11009-534: The spot and made a large fire. When the fire had burnt out, they proceeded to hunt for the pice and betel-nut. Whosoever found these, was considered very lucky." Elsewhere in Punjab, Holi was also associated with making fools of others. Bose writing in Cultural Anthropology: And Other Essays in 1929 noted that "the custom of playing Holi-fools is prevalent in Punjab". Astronomical basis of
11118-400: The stars faster than the Sun, lunar culmination is delayed by about 50.47 minutes (on average) each day, thus causing moonrise to occur later each day. Due to the high lunar standstill , the harvest and hunter's moons of 2007 were special because the time difference between moonrises on successive evenings was much shorter than average. The moon rose about 30 minutes later from one night to
11227-551: The time of Columbus's arrival in America. In The American Boy's Book of Signs, Signals and Symbols (1918), Daniel Carter Beard wrote: "The Indians' Moons naturally vary in the different parts of the country, but by comparing them all and striking an average as near as may be, the moons are reduced to the following." He then gave a list that had two names for each lunar month, again quite different from earlier lists that had been published. The 1937 Maine Farmers' Almanac published
11336-407: The time zone. Potential discrepancies also arise from whether the calendar day is considered to begin in the evening or at midnight. It is normal for the full moon to fall on the fourteenth or the fifteenth of the month according to whether the start of the month is reckoned from the appearance of the new moon or from the conjunction. A tabular lunar calendar will also exhibit variations depending on
11445-503: The triumph of good over evil, as it commemorates the victory of Vishnu as Narasimha over Hiranyakashipu . Holi originated and is predominantly celebrated in the Indian subcontinent , but has also spread to other regions of Asia and parts of the Western world through the Indian diaspora. Holi also celebrates the arrival of spring in India, the end of winter, and the blossoming of love. It
11554-403: The vicinity of Zeta Piscium ( IAST : revatī), the twelve (i.e. 360° divided by 30°) rāśi are designated meṣa ( Sanskrit : मेष ), vṛṣabha ( Sanskrit : वृषभ ) etc. A sauramāsa ( Sanskrit : सौरमास ) is the time taken by the Sun to traverse a rāśi. Sauramāsa get their names from the corresponding rāśi. sauramāsa corresponds to the concept of a month. The moment in time when the Sun enters a rāśi
11663-488: The world. The Holi rituals and customs can vary with local adaptations. The festival has traditionally been also observed by non-Hindus, such as by Jains and Newars ( Nepal ). In Mughal India , Holi was celebrated with such exuberance that people of all castes could throw colour on the Emperor. According to Sharma (2017), "there are several paintings of Mughal emperors celebrating Holi". Grand celebrations of Holi were held at
11772-623: The yogi opens his third eye and burns Kama to ashes. This upsets both Kama's wife Rati ( Kamadevi ) and his own wife Parvati . Rati performs her own meditative asceticism for forty days, upon which Shiva understands, forgives out of compassion and restores the god of love. This return of the god of love, is celebrated on the 40th day after the Vasant Panchami festival as Holi. The Kama legend and its significance to Holi has many variant forms, particularly in South India . The Holi festival has
11881-487: Was endowed with a boon to remain immune to fire, she was burned to ashes, while Prahlada remained unharmed. The next morning is celebrated as Rangwali Holi (Dhuleti) where people smear and drench each other with colours. Water guns and water-filled balloons are often used to play and colour each other, with anyone and any place being considered fair game to colour. Groups often carry drums and other musical instruments going from place to place, singing and dancing. Throughout
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