Holika Dahan mantra: puja, meaning and fire safety
The Holika Dahan mantra with meaning, the story of Prahlad, a simple puja for the bonfire and how to keep it safe. Holika Dahan is on Sunday 21 March 2027.
The traditional Holika Dahan mantra is असृक्पाभयसंत्रस्तैः कृता त्वं होलि बालिशैः (Asrikpa Bhaya Santrastaih), recited while offering to the Holika fire and walking around it. With it, many families chant the Narasimha mantra or the name of Narayana, remembering Prahlad, the boy the fire could not harm. In 2027, Holika Dahan is on Sunday 21 March, and Holi, the festival of colours, is on Monday 22 March.
Dates are for New Delhi; tithi timings shift slightly by city.
The story of Prahlad and Holika
Holika Dahan, "the burning of Holika", is lit on the full-moon evening of Phalguna. It remembers a story from the Puranas.
Hiranyakashipu was a king who wanted to be worshipped as a god. His young son Prahlad would not do it: he had given his heart to Vishnu, and he kept chanting the name of Narayana however much his father threatened him. The king's sister, Holika, was said to be protected from fire. She sat in a blazing pyre with Prahlad in her lap, expecting the boy to burn. Instead Holika was consumed, and Prahlad walked out unharmed, still chanting. Later, Vishnu appeared as Narasimha, half man and half lion, to protect him.
So the fire is not about destruction. It is about faith that does not bend, and about letting the fire take what is false: pride, cruelty, old resentment. Holi the next morning is the joy that follows.
Holika Dahan mantras
Holika puja mantra
असृक्पाभयसंत्रस्तैः कृता त्वं होलि बालिशैः। अतस्त्वां पूजयिष्यामि भूते भूतिप्रदा भव॥ Asrikpa Bhaya Santrastaih Krita Tvam Holi Balishaih, Atastvam Pujayishyami Bhute Bhutiprada Bhava
"Holika, you were made by the foolish, who acted out of fear. So I worship you: be the giver of well-being." This is the verse most widely used in Holika puja guides. It is recited while offering water, rice, flowers and thread to the fire.
Narasimha mantra
ॐ उग्रं वीरं महाविष्णुं ज्वलन्तं सर्वतोमुखम् । नृसिंहं भीषणं भद्रं मृत्युमृत्युं नमाम्यहम् || Om Ugram Viram Mahavishnum Jvalantam Sarvatomukham, Nrisimham Bhishanam Bhadram Mrityumrityum Namamyaham
"I bow to Narasimha, the fierce and valiant form of Vishnu, blazing, facing every direction, terrible and yet kind, the death of death itself." Narasimha is the form in which Vishnu came to protect Prahlad, and this mantra is traditionally chanted for calm when fear is strong. Listen on Mahakatha.
Om Namo Narayanaya
ॐ नमो नारायणाय Om Namo Narayanaya
"I bow to Narayana, the master of the universe." The name Prahlad would not stop chanting. It is simple enough for children to chant with you as you walk around the fire, and is traditionally chanted for focus and calm thinking. Listen on Mahakatha.
Agni Gayatri
ॐ महाज्वालाय विद्महे अग्नि मध्याय धीमहि तन्नो: अग्नि प्रचोदयात् ।। Om Mahajwalaya Vidmahe, Agni Madhyaya Dhimahi, Tanno Agnih Prachodayat
"We know the great flame, we meditate on the heart of the fire: may Agni light up our minds." A fitting mantra for any sacred fire, traditionally chanted for energy and willpower. Listen on Mahakatha.
Asato Ma Sadgamaya
असतो मा सद्गमय। तमसो मा ज्योतिर्गमय। मृत्योर्मा अमृतम्गमय। ॐ शान्तिः शान्तिः शान्तिः॥ Asato Ma Sadgamaya, Tamaso Ma Jyotirgamaya, Mrityor Ma Amritamgamaya, Om Shanti Shanti Shantih
"Lead me from the unreal to the real, from darkness to light, from death to immortality. Peace, peace, peace." From the Brihadaranyaka Upanishad. It sums up what the Holika fire stands for. Listen on Mahakatha.
A simple Holika puja
Holika Dahan is lit after sunset on the full-moon evening, in Pradosh Kaal, and many families avoid the Bhadra period. A local panchang or your temple will give the exact time for your city. A simple order:
- Bathe and dress simply. Face the pyre from the east or north if you can.
- Offer water from a small pot, then roli (kumkum), unbroken rice, flowers and a little gulal, reciting the Holika puja mantra.
- Wrap raw cotton thread around the pyre as you walk around it, three or seven times, chanting Om Namo Narayanaya.
- Offer coconut, sweets and fresh ears of grain once the fire is lit. Many families roast new wheat or barley in the flames and share it as prasad.
- Stand quietly for a moment and let go of one thing you want to leave in the fire: a grudge, a fear, a habit.
If your family has its own custom, follow it. Holika Dahan is a community fire in most places, and the puja is often led by an elder or the local priest.
Fire safety
A sacred fire is still a fire. Please keep it safe:
- Keep children and pets well back, and hold small hands during the parikrama.
- Tie back dupattas, scarves and loose sleeves. Cotton is safer than synthetic fabric near flames.
- Walk around at a safe distance, not at the edge of the fire, and never throw anything into it from close up.
- Burn only wood, cow-dung cakes and natural offerings. Plastic, tyres and rubbish give off toxic smoke.
- Build the pyre away from wires, vehicles, trees and buildings, and keep water or sand ready.
- Stand upwind if you have asthma or a breathing condition, and leave if the smoke bothers you.
- Follow local rules on timing and location, and make sure the fire is fully out before everyone leaves.
Listen on the day
Mahakatha Radio plays Vishnu, Shiva and Devi mantras day and night, free and without ads. On Holika Dahan evening, tune in while you prepare. If you are praying for your family this Holi, you can offer a prayer to be read aloud on Prayer Requests at 7:00 am or 7:00 pm India time.
Questions people ask
What is the method of Holika Dahan puja?
After sunset on the full-moon evening, offer water, roli, rice, flowers and gulal to the pyre while reciting the Holika mantra, then walk around it three or seven times winding raw cotton thread. Once it is lit, offer coconut and fresh grain, and take some home as prasad.
Which mantra should be recited during the puja?
The Holika puja mantra, असृक्पाभयसंत्रस्तैः कृता त्वं होलि बालिशैः, while making offerings. Om Namo Narayanaya during the parikrama is simple and fitting, since it was Prahlad's own chant.
Is there a mantra that fulfils every wish?
No honest teacher would promise that. Holika Dahan is a night to let go rather than to ask for more; many people find that what they really wished for was peace, and the Narasimha mantra and Asato Ma are traditionally chanted for exactly that.
Which mantra should I say while giving daan?
There is no single required verse. Many people give quietly with the name of their deity, such as Om Namo Narayanaya, and the intention matters more than the words. Give what helps: grain, clothes, or food for someone who needs it.
Which mantra becomes siddha in one day?
None, honestly. A mantra deepens with steady practice over time. Holika Dahan is a good evening to begin one and keep it going.
When is Holika Dahan in 2027?
Sunday 21 March 2027, after sunset, with Holi on Monday 22 March 2027. Dates are for New Delhi; check a local panchang for the exact muhurat in your city.