What is Holashtak and how to prevent evil from entering ones home in these days

Every year in March, India comes together to celebrate Holi, the festival of colours. It is a festival of joy, excitement, positivity, and good vibes, and from children to elders, everyone has their way of celebrating Holi. Be it burning evil with Holika Dahan, or running behind each other with water guns in one hand and gulaal in another, Holi is a festival for all.

And about eight days before Holi, the period of Holashtak begins. It is considered an unfavorable time for starting new ventures, performing auspicious rituals, or making important life decisions such as marriage, housewarming, or business deals. Many believe that the cosmic energies shift during this time, making people more vulnerable to negative forces, including black magic and evil spirits.

Many believe that in the days of Holashtak, the energies are immensely high, and this could be both positive and negative. But as people are busy preparing for Holi and the rituals of Holika Dahan, it gives the evil practitioners a chance to harness and channel that energy to their favour.
And that is why, on the ‘chaurahas’ and corners, you will see people doing magic, throwing dolls, kumkum, or even something more sinister in a means to negatively affect someone else. And so, it is extremely important to protect yourself from these energies and your home.

One of the best and most trusted ways for many people to cleanse and protect their home is to clean and mop the home with salt water. It is believed that salt has cleansing and purifying properties, and thus it can easily clean and wash away any negative energies that might be in your home.
So, next time you mop the floor, add a spoon of salt to warm water, mix, and then clean every corner of the house. Some people also say it is best to mop the home and floors everyday during Holashtak time.

Cinnamon too is known to have healing and cleansing properties, and some people believe that sprinkling cinnamon powder in the entryways and corners of the home will help remove any negativity and ills present in the home. It is said that Cinnamon attracts positivity and good luck into the home, and so sprinkling some in the corners, and especially in the main entry doors, will help keep evil and ills away.

While some people prefer a sage cleanse, cleansing the home with the smoke of Bhimseni kapur is equally beneficial. Since time immemorial, Bhimseni kapur is used in Hindu rituals as it is believed to drive away any evil spirits and make the environment pure again.
It is said that the strong, purifying aroma of kapur keeps negativity away. So, in the days of Holashtak, light a few cubes of Bhimseni kapur inside the house everyday.

To protect yourself from ills and evils during this time, the elders say that it is best to wear light colours. It is believed that dark and heavy colours can make the evil energies attach to you, and will eventually ruin your day.
And so, many experts say that it is best to wear auspicious colours like red, orange, yellow, or even pastels if you like to create a positive aura around.

The most important step to shield yourself from negativity during Holashtak days is to pray. That’s right, pray everyday, be true to yourself and to God, and ask the Gods and Goddesses to protect you during this time and not let any evil take over your heart and mind.
Light a diya, chant some mantras, meditate and pray everyday, and nothing will affect you.