Masan Holi: What Is This Unique Holi Celebration In Varanasi, Why Devotees Play With Ashes?

Last Updated:March 04, 2026, 15:03 IST

In Varanasi, Masan Holi is celebrated at its ancient Manikarnika Ghat – one of the most famous and important cremation sites in Hinduism.

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In Varanasi, Holi is celebrated in a cremation ground, as it symbolises life and death. (Representative Image)

In stark contrast to the rest of the country’s dash of colours and water amid loud music and dancing, Varanasi is preparing to continue the tradition of Masan Holi. Observed in the ancient and spiritual city, Masan Holi is played with ashes instead of colours.

Deeply rooted in Shaivite traditions, Masan Holi links the two ends of life: birth and death. This striking festival has a symbolic meaning. ‘Masan Holi’ is a compound of ‘Masan’ and ‘Holi’, where ‘Masan’ refers to the cremation ground. In Varanasi, Masan Holi is celebrated at its ancient Manikarnika Ghat – one of the most famous and important cremation sites in Hinduism.

Belief And Tradition

The celebration for Masan Holi, where locals spread ashes on each other, is associated with Lord Shiva’s divine play. According to belief, Masan Holi replicates the great lord’s Holi celebrations in the cremation grounds. The celebrations for the Masan Holi begin every year in Varanasi, also known as Kashi, after Rangbhari Ekadashi.

On Masan Holi, devotees of Lord Shiva – including sadhus and aghoris of the various ghats in the spiritual city – gather and spread the sacred ashes (the bhasma) from the cremation grounds on each other instead of the colourful gulals. This ritual is followed

by spiritual and soulful chants of ‘Har Har Mahadev’ or ‘Om Namah Shivay’ amid traditional and devotional music or dambru beats as devotees dance together and remember Shiva.

Special Prayers

While sadhus and aghoris take part in the ashes-based rituals, priests all around Varanasi and its ancient ghats perform special puja rituals and pray for the world’s well-being and happiness in front of Lord Shiva. Tourists visiting Kashi enjoy watching the

celebrations for Masan Holi, while locals and other participants consider it a profound remembrance of the cycle of life and death and how the two blend with each other.

Overall, Masan Holi stands apart from the mainstream Holi celebrations and reflects wonderfully on India’s diverse cultural roots, beliefs and traditions across different states. Devotion for Lord Shiva and the historic surroundings of Varanasi make Masan Holi

an experience worth having at least once in your lifetime.