Holi in Pakistan: Where It Is Celebrated

Holi in Pakistan is celebrated mainly by the Hindu community of Sindh, and the biggest gatherings are in Umerkot and Mithi in the Thar, in Karachi's temples, and in Hyderabad. In Lahore it is marked at the city's two working Hindu temples, the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road and the Valmiki Mandir near Anarkali. In 2026 the bonfire night (Holika Dahan) fell on 3 March and the day of colours on 4 March. In 2027 they are expected on 21 and 22 March.

This guide covers what happens over the two days, where it is celebrated, how the holiday works in Sindh, and how to join in or watch respectfully if you are not Hindu yourself.

When is Holi in 2026 and 2027?

Holi follows the Hindu lunisolar calendar and falls on the full moon of the month of Phalgun, which lands between late February and late March. The festival runs over two days: the bonfire on the evening of the full moon, and the play with colours the next day, which people in Sindh often call Dhulandi or Dulhandi.

In 2026 the Sindh government notified 3 and 4 March as the holidays, matching the bonfire night and the day of colours. For 2027, the main Hindu almanacs put Holika Dahan on Sunday 21 March and the colours on Monday 22 March. Because the dates come from a lunar calendar and local temples sometimes differ by a day, confirm with the temple or the Sindh government's holiday notice, which normally comes out a few days before.

What happens over the two days

The bonfire night

On the first evening a pile of dried cow dung, wood and sawdust is built in a temple courtyard or an open ground, decorated with marigolds and incense, and set alight after prayers. It recalls the story of Prahlad, the devotee of Vishnu who survived the fire that burned his aunt Holika, and so the victory of good over evil. In Karachi in 2020, Dawn reported the fire at the Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir being lit at about 9 pm, with newly married women and new mothers coming for blessings.

That story has a Pakistani connection. Local tradition places it in Multan, at the Prahladpuri temple beside the shrine of Bahauddin Zakariya at Multan Fort. The temple was wrecked by a mob in 1992 and remains a ruin, so nothing is celebrated there now.

The day of colours

The next day is the one people picture: friends and families throwing gulal (coloured powder) and coloured water at each other, music, dancing and sweets. In the cities this happens mostly inside temple compounds and in Hindu neighbourhoods; in Mithi and Umerkot it spills into the streets, often with processions.

Where Holi is celebrated in Pakistan

Umerkot and Mithi

These two Thar towns have large Hindu communities (Mithi's is a majority), and their Holi is the most public. In Mithi, processions move through the town, and news reports in 2025, when Holi fell during Ramadan, described Muslim residents welcoming a Holi procession in the town square while Hindus prepared iftar for fasting neighbours. In Umerkot, much of the activity centres on the old Shiv Mandir, the town's best-known temple.

If you go, stay in Mithi or Umerkot rather than trying to drive in and out from Karachi on the day. Our guide to Mithi and the Tharparkar towns covers the road, where to stay and what else to see.

Karachi

Karachi's Holi happens in its temples rather than its streets. The Shri Swaminarayan Mandir on M.A. Jinnah Road has long been the main venue, with the bonfire in the middle of its grounds, and in some years the celebration has moved to the Panchmukhi Hanuman Mandir in Soldier Bazaar. Smaller temples in Hindu neighbourhoods hold their own. Our post on Hindu temples in Karachi gives the locations and how to visit.

Hyderabad and the rest of Sindh

Hyderabad and many smaller Sindh towns with Hindu communities mark Holi in temple compounds and neighbourhoods. These are community events rather than public festivals, so they are best visited with an invitation from someone who lives there.

Lahore

Lahore's Hindu community is small, and Holi is held at its only two working temples: the Krishna Mandir on Ravi Road, opposite the timber market, and the Valmiki Mandir in the Neela Gumbad area of Anarkali. In 2025 hundreds of people played with colours at the Valmiki Mandir under tight security arranged by the Evacuee Trust Property Board, which manages both temples. Our guide to Hindu temples in Punjab covers these and the older temple sites elsewhere in the province.

Is Holi a public holiday in Pakistan?

Not nationally. At the federal level, Holi is one of the optional holidays that Hindu government employees can take. Sindh goes further: it first declared a Holi public holiday in 2016, and in recent years the provincial government has issued a notice each year giving Hindu employees in government departments, autonomous bodies and local government the day off. In 2026 that covered both 3 and 4 March, and the police were told to tighten security at Hindu temples and community spaces.

For a traveller this means Holi barely changes the rhythm of Karachi or Lahore. Offices, markets and transport run normally.

Visiting Holi respectfully

Holi is cheerful and usually welcoming to outsiders, but it is still a religious festival held mainly at temples. A few things make a difference:

• Ask before you throw colour. Many people, especially older people and women, do not want to be painted by strangers. Wait to be invited, or let someone put colour on you first.
• Ask before photographing people, women and families especially. The temples are used to cameras on Holi, but not everyone wants to be on someone's social media.
• Take your shoes off before entering a temple building, and do not step onto the area around the bonfire or the shrine.
• Dress modestly and wear old clothes. Gulal stains, and wet colour does not always wash out of light fabric. Cover your phone in a plastic bag.
• Expect security checks. Police guard the bigger temples in Karachi and Lahore on Holi, and bags may be searched at the gate.
• Go with someone from the community if you can. A Hindu friend or colleague will know which gathering welcomes visitors and when things actually start.
• Bring sweets rather than cash if you want to give something, and accept prasad or sweets if they are offered to you.

Who should plan a trip around Holi?

If you want to see Holi as a living festival rather than a temple event, Mithi and Umerkot are the places, and they are worth combining with the rest of Tharparkar in the same trip. The towns are lively, and the interfaith side of Thar life is easy to see at this time of year.

If you live in Karachi or Lahore, the temple celebrations make an easy evening or morning outing, as long as you go as a respectful guest rather than as a spectator with a camera. For someone without local contacts, Holi in a big city can feel like a private party you are watching from the gate.

If Hindu festivals interest you more broadly, Diwali in the autumn is quieter and more about lamps and prayer; see our guide to Diwali in Pakistan. Our experiences page lists the festivals across Pakistan that are easiest for visitors to join.

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