Holi is the spring festival of Phalguna Purnima — the full moon of the lunar month of Phalguna (February–March). Holika Dahan is lit on the Purnima night, and the colours are played the next day. Two stories anchor it. The first is the burning of the demoness Holika, sister of King Hiranyakashipu. Holika was granted a boon that fire would not harm her; her brother, enraged that his son Prahlada refused to renounce devotion to Vishnu, ordered her to sit on a pyre with Prahlada in her lap. The boon reversed itself — Holika was consumed, Prahlada emerged unharmed. Pride was burned away.

The second story is Krishna's. The young, dark-skinned Krishna asked his mother Yashoda why Radha was so fair while he was so dark. Yashoda playfully suggested he colour Radha's face — and Krishna, with childlike mischief, applied colour to Radha and the other gopis. The play of colours between Radha and Krishna became the template for the colour-throwing rite of Holi.

On the night of Phalguna Purnima, a bonfire — Holika Dahan — is lit at sunset. Communities gather around it; the symbolic burning of Holika is also the burning of accumulated negativity from the year. Wheat shoots and stems are sometimes thrown into the fire as offerings.

The next morning is Rangwali Holi — the day of colours. People throw dry powder (gulal) and coloured water on each other, sing devotional and folk songs, and drink thandai. Old quarrels are forgiven; the social hierarchies of caste and status loosen for the day. Sweet treats — gujiya, mathri, malpua — are shared house to house.