Fagu Purnima: colour is played in the hills on the full moon and in the Tarai the day after.
Holi, or Fagu Purnima, falls on the full moon of Falgun. Nepal keeps it on two days: the hills and Kathmandu on the purnima itself, and the Tarai-Madhesh on the day after. Each date is a public holiday in its own region. Both dates are in the table below.
| Events | BS Date | AD Date | Day |
|---|---|---|---|
| Fagu Poornima / Holi / World Poetry DayHoliday | 7 Chaitra 2083 | 21 Mar 2027 | Sunday |
| Fagu Poornima (Terai) / World Water DayHoliday | 8 Chaitra 2083 | 22 Mar 2027 | Monday |
A week before the purnima, a bamboo pole hung with strips of cloth, called the chir, is raised at Basantapur in Kathmandu. This is the formal start of Holi. People also start throwing water balloons from around this time. On the purnima the chir is taken down and burnt. This is Holika Dahan. Colour is played all day around Basantapur and Thamel and in neighbourhoods across the city, often with loud music.
The hill districts and Kathmandu play Holi on Fagu Purnima. The Tarai-Madhesh plays it the next day, which is also the day it is played across the border in India. Both days are in the government holiday list: the first date is a holiday in the hills and the second in the Tarai. Offices with staff from both regions often have some staff away on each day.
Throwing balloons at people who have not agreed is an offence, and police make arrests every year, mostly of young men on motorbikes. Cheap colours are often industrial dye, not food-grade colour. Put oil on your hair and skin before you go out; it helps. Shops close and taxi fares go up. If you park a vehicle on the street, cover it.
Fagu Purnima is the full moon of Falgun. Its BS date changes every year and can fall anywhere from mid-Falgun to mid-Chaitra. The purnima can start or end partway through a day, so in some years the panchang puts Holika Dahan on one date and colour play on the next, even in the hills.
Avoid booking a flight on the morning of Holi. The road to the airport is one of the busiest places for colour play. Do not assume the Tarai plays on the same day as Kathmandu. Wear old clothes that you do not mind throwing away.
The hills and Kathmandu keep it on Fagu Purnima, and the Tarai-Madhesh keeps it the next day. Each date is an official holiday in its own region.
A week before the purnima, at Basantapur. It is burnt on the night of the purnima as Holika Dahan.
Throwing them at people who have not agreed is an offence, and the police take action every year.
