Question 1

Why is Holika Dahan performed at a specific Muhurat?

Accepted Answer

The bonfire must be lit during Pradosh Kaal — the period just after sunset — on the day the Purnima Tithi is current, and it must avoid Bhadra. Bhadra is the shadow of the Vishti Karan, held inauspicious for beginnings, and it frequently overlaps the early part of Holika Purnima. Almanacs therefore publish an exact Holika Dahan Muhurat each year, which can fall late at night when Bhadra runs long.

Question 2

Why is Maha Shivaratri kept at night rather than by day?

Accepted Answer

The night itself is the observance. It is held to be the night of Shiva's union with Shakti and, in another account, of his appearance as the infinite column of light — and the classical instruction is to stay awake through all four Prahars, offering Abhishek in each with water, milk, curd, honey and ghee in turn, rather than performing a single daytime puja. The fast is broken the following morning.

Question 3

What happens to the calendar after Phalguna ends?

Accepted Answer

The lunar year closes and Chaitra begins the next one — Chaitra Shukla Pratipada is the New Year in the Vikram Samvat and Shaka reckonings. Holi therefore falls at the very end of one year and the New Year follows about a fortnight later, which is why the two are often spoken of together as marking the turn from the old year to the new.

Question 4

How long does the month of Phalguna last?

Accepted Answer

A lunar month runs about 29.5 days — the time the Moon takes to return to the same phase relative to the Sun. Because that figure is not a whole number of days and the Moon's speed varies, Phalguna does not begin at the same clock time each year, and its length can differ by several hours from one year to the next. The begin and end timestamps listed above are computed for your own location rather than quoted from a fixed table.

Question 5

Why do the Amanta and Purnimanta dates for Phalguna differ?

Accepted Answer

They are two different conventions for where a month starts. An Amanta month runs New Moon to New Moon and is the standard across South and West India — Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Gujarat. A Purnimanta month runs Full Moon to Full Moon and is standard across North India. The Purnimanta Phalguna therefore begins about a fortnight earlier and its dark fortnight (Krishna Paksha) comes first, while in the Amanta reckoning the bright fortnight comes first. The two systems agree on which Tithi a given day is; they disagree only on which month to file it under. Use the toggle above to switch between them.

Question 6

Can Phalguna occur twice in one year?

Accepted Answer

Yes, though rarely. Twelve lunar months fall about eleven days short of a solar year, so roughly every 32 or 33 months an extra month — Adhika Maas, also called Mala Maas or Purushottama Maas — is inserted to keep the lunar calendar aligned with the seasons. The extra month takes the name of the month that follows it, so an Adhika Phalguna is followed by a Nija (true) Phalguna. Rites of passage such as weddings, sacred-thread ceremonies and house-warmings are traditionally deferred out of the Adhika month, while recitation, charity and pilgrimage are held to be especially meritorious in it.

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