Dola Purnima is the full moon of Phalguna and Odisha's Holi. For five or six days before it, village images of Radha and Krishna are carried through the lanes in small wooden palanquins called vimanas, stopping at each doorstep to be offered sweets and abira, coloured powder. On the full moon the vimanas of many villages meet at an open ground, the Melana, and the gods are placed on swings. People play colour the next morning.
The story
It is the spring festival of Krishna, who is swung, dola, with Radha. At Puri, Jagannath's representative Dolagovinda is taken to the Dola Bedi outside the temple and swung there.
Dola Purnima is also the day the Odia almanac, the Panji, is first read out for the year to come, and by tradition the birthday of Chaitanya, who spent his last eighteen years at Puri.
ହରିବୋଲ
Say the name of Hari
The cry that goes with every procession
How it is kept
- ChacheriThe vimanas go round the village from Phagu Dashami, to the sound of cymbals and drums.
- BhogaEach household offers the gods sweets and a pinch of abira.
- MelanaThe meeting of the gods of several villages, with a fair.
- HoliColour is played on the day after the full moon.
- PanjiThe new almanac is brought out and read.
Why this date
Dola Purnima is the full-moon tithi of Phalguna, on the day it is present at sunrise. Colour is played on the following day.
Dola Purnima in other years
| Year | Date | Day |
|---|---|---|
| 2026 | Tuesday | |
| 2027 | Monday | |
| 2028 | Saturday | |
| 2029 | Wednesday | |
| 2030 | Tuesday | |
| 2031 | Sunday |
More Odia festivals
6 MarchMaha Shivaratriମହା ଶିବରାତ୍ରି
15 AprilRama Navamiରାମ ନବମୀ
14 AprilPana Sankrantiପଣା ସଂକ୍ରାନ୍ତି
13 FebruaryRatha Saptamiରଥ ସପ୍ତମୀ
11 FebruarySaraswati Pujaସରସ୍ୱତୀ ପୂଜା
20 AprilHanuman Jayantiହନୁମାନ ଜୟନ୍ତୀ
Where to see Dola Purnima
In Odisha
- Jagannath Temple, PuriOdishaDolagovinda is swung on the Dola Bedi, and the deities wear the Raja Besha.
- KendraparaOdishaThe Baladevjew temple, known as Tulasi Kshetra, with one of the great Dola Melanas.
- NayagarhOdishaFamous for its Dola Melanas, where dozens of vimanas gather.
Across India
- Mayapur and NabadwipWest BengalGaura Purnima, the birthday of Chaitanya.
- VrindavanUttar PradeshHoli in Krishna's own country, played for more than a week.
- SantiniketanWest BengalBasanta Utsav, Tagore's spring festival, kept in yellow.