8 days of curse before Holi - Holashtak

Holi is a festival of colors and is awaited with a lot of excitement by all. But, very few of us know that it gets 8 long dark days along with it. Only after those 8 days pass, then can Holi come with its beauty. Did you know that Holi is a festival of 9 days and not one? And the first eight days do not celebrate anything but are rather considered to be inauspicious. According to the Purnimant calendar followed in North India, Holashtak starts from the ‘Ashtami’ that is the 8th day of ‘Krishna Paksha’ and continues till the ‘Purnima’ of the ‘Falgun’ month. When it reaches its last day, that is Falgun Purnima, people celebrate the major Holi festival that is Holika Dahan.

In 2019 Holashtak will start on Thursday, 14th of March and will continue till Holi ka Dahan on 1st March. Any kind of auspicious work is strictly prohibited during this time period. It is believed that any auspicious work done during this period will give back exactly the opposite results. Only one thing done on Holashtak can give you positive results and that is daan (donation of money and food to the poor).

Why is Holashtak so inauspicious?

According to mythology Lord Shiva had cursed the God of Love – Lord Kamadeva and turned him into ashes on Phalguna month of Ashtami Tithi. It is said that these are the 8 days when Goddess Rati was praying Lord Shiva with severe penance, and hence no auspicious work can be done. Later Lord Shiva had given back life too Kamdeva which is celebrated by playing colors.

Significance and Rituals Of Holashtak

• Performing social activities like offering donations or giving Daan to the needy is also considered auspicious. It is believed that generous donation of clothes, food, money and other essential stuff will bring in luck.
• When the period of Holashtak starts, people wash their homes with Gangajal and clean the house. This is said to remove the negativity of any such existence.
• At that place dried cow dung cakes, dried wood and grass and a stick of Holi is placed.

Make sure that you never perform any auspicious task or ritual on these particular 8 days. Also, follow the above given rituals to ward off negative energies.