Gangaur begins · Dhulandi Observance The morning after the Holika Dahan, when the colours are played and the first Gangaur puja is made in the same hours.
Gangaur begins · Dhulandi 2027 falls on Tuesday, 23 March, computed for Chennai.
The name
The same day, in every language that has a word for it
- English
- Gangaur begins · Dhulandi
- हिन्दी
- गणगौर आरंभ
- राजस्थानी
- गणगौर आरंभ · धुलंडी
Only the names actually in use are listed. A blank script is not an omission: the day may simply not be kept there, or be kept under a different festival's name.
Asia/Kolkata · UTC+5:30
The date of a festival depends on the place: a tithi that ends at dusk in Chennai can still be running at dusk a thousand kilometres west, which moves the day. Sunrise and sunset here are computed for the place above.
When it falls next
Rajasthan calendar, computed for Chennai
- Tuesday, 23 March 2027
- Saturday, 11 March 2028
- Thursday, 1 March 2029
Where Gangaur begins · Dhulandi falls on the solar year, and how far the date moves between occurrences.
- 2027: 23 Mar
- 2028: 11 Mar
- 2029: 1 Mar
The dates, year by year
Rajasthan calendar, computed for Chennai
| Year | Gangaur begins · Dhulandi |
|---|---|
| 2025 | Friday, 14 March 2025 |
| 2026 | Wednesday, 4 March 2026 |
| 2027 | Tuesday, 23 March 2027 |
| 2028 | Saturday, 11 March 2028 |
| 2029 | Thursday, 1 March 2029 |
| 2030 | Wednesday, 20 March 2030 |
| 2031 | Sunday, 9 March 2031 |
| 2032 | Saturday, 27 March 2032 |
| 2033 | Wednesday, 16 March 2033 |
| 2034 | Sunday, 5 March 2034 |
| 2035 | Saturday, 24 March 2035 |
| 2036 | Wednesday, 12 March 2036 |
Worked out for Chennai, Lahiri ayanamsa. A date is a function of the place: set yours above and the next three come back for where you are.
What the day is
The morning after the Holika Dahan, when the colours are played and the first Gangaur puja is made in the same hours. The ash of the night’s fire is carried home and mixed into the clay that Isar and Gavar are shaped from, and from this day the women count eighteen to the Chaitra Shukla Tritiya. In most of the Hindi belt this day is only Holi; in Rajasthan it is the opening of the longest observance of the year.
- Deity
- Gauri, Shiva
- Kind
- Observance Days marked, watched or begun, without a fast or a feast of their own.
The hour
Clock times for Tuesday, 23 March 2027 at Chennai
The day after the Holika Dahan at sunrise, which is Chaitra Krishna Pratipada in the purnimanta reckoning Rajasthan prints and Phalguna Krishna Pratipada on the amanta scan.
| Instant | Time | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Sunrise | 06:11 | the udaya tithi, the tithi running as the sun comes up |
Sunrise 06:11, sunset 18:20, UTC+5.5. These are the instants the rule is read at, not the temple's own puja times, which every temple prints for itself.
The fast
No fast. The colours are played in the morning and the first worship of the images is made the same day.
Where the regions differ
The rest of the north keeps the day as Holi alone; Rajasthan begins Gangaur on it, which is why the Gangaur count moves with Holi and not with the Chaitra new moon.
The dates above are the Rajasthan reckoning, because that is the calendar this key belongs to. Switch the tradition on the calendar page to see how another one dates the same day.
Every date here is computed from the Sun and Moon for the place entered, by the rule printed beside it. A printed panchangam can differ by a day where an almanac reads a tithi at a different instant, and a family's own custom always comes first. Where the practice genuinely varies, the text says so rather than choosing for you.