HOLASHTAK 2021- Do’s And Don’ts During 8 Inauspicious Days Before Holi Festival.
The colorful festival of Holi is just around the corner, taking your enthusiasm to the next level. But 8 days before joyous festival considered highly unfavorable. This period is known as ‘Holashtak’. Starting March 22, Monday, the most ominous days of the year are about to begin.
Holashtak Meaning
Holashtak is a Sanskrit word made from the conjunction of ‘Hola’ + ‘Ashtak’, meaning 8 days before Holi. This adverse period begins on the Ashtami Tithi of Shukla Paksha of Phalgun maah and continues till the Purnima Tithi – the day of Holi.
Holashtak is mainly celebrated in North Indian states like Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Holashtak Period 2021
This year in 2021, Holashtak starts on March 22, Monday and ends on March 28, Sunday (Holi).
Why is Holashtak unfavorable?
This time of 8 days before Holi is considered ominous because planets like Sun, Moon, Mercury, Jupiter, Mars, Saturn, Rahu and Venus are said to undergo furious changes, causing a bad impact on the lives of people, during this term.
Things to Avoid during Holashtak
During this bad time of Holashtak, doing unfavorable things must be abstaining. People do not do any auspicious ceremonies like marriage, naming of a child, engagement and housewarming celebrations. And also do not starts or purchase anything new in this period like buying property, jewellery or a vehicle, making vital investments, giving an interview, taking loans and starting a new business or partnership.
There is no auspicious work before the ritual of Holika Dahan. Doing so is said to bring bad luck and you do not get any good results from things started during this ominous period.
Things to Do during Holashtak
The 8 days of Holashtak are considered very satisfying for doing good deeds, donating alms, helping others and doing charity. If someone dies during Holashtak, his ‘Shanti Kriya’ must be doing before incinerating the body.
On the 1st day of Holashtak, people choose a crossroad (chauraha) for doing Holika Dahan, clean this place and sprinkle the Gangajal in this area and place some dried wood, grass and dung uple here. On each day of Holashtak, people collect and add dried branches and twigs, which represent negative energies. All of these are then burnt on the day of Holika Dahan. People clean their homes with Gangajal when Holashtak begins to ward off bad energies.
Holashtak 2021 Start Date and End Date
| Sunrise | March 22, 2021 6:32 AM |
| Sunset | March 22, 2021 6:34 PM |
| Ashtami Tithi Begins | March 21, 2021 7:10 AM |
| Ashtami Tithi Ends | March 22, 2021, 9:00 AM |
