In Jainism, Holi has a very different place than in general Hindu society.

1. Is Holi a Jain religious festival?

• No, Holi is not a Jain religious festival.
• It is mainly a Hindu festival.
• Jains living in India often join socially, but in Jain āgamas and main Jain traditions, Holi is not counted as a Jain “parva” (religious festival) like Paryushan, Mahavir Jayanti, Diwali (Nirvan Kalyāṇak of Mahavir), Shrut‑Panchami, etc.

2. What do Jain Acharyas generally say about Holi?

Many Jain sadhus and scholars:

• Discourage the usual Holi style – throwing colours, wasting water, loud music, teasing, drinking, hurting animals or insects, etc.
• The main reasons:

- It easily leads to hiṁsā (violence to tiny beings, birds, animals, even humans). - It promotes kaṣāyas (anger, pride, deceit, greed) – fights, ego, misbehaviour. - It disturbs samyak dṛṣṭi and sādhana (right vision and spiritual practice).

So, from the pure Jain dharma point of view, the normal “rang-wali” Holi is not encouraged.

3. A Jain story related to Holi (from Jain literature)

Some Jain texts (like Gyanānand Śrāvakāchār etc.) mention a story of a woman named Holi / Holikā:

• Holi was said to be a woman who did adharma and committed a serious sin (trying to burn/kill someone in fire).
• Due to this paap, there were later sufferings, diseases and problems in the town connected to her.
• To pacify a Devi connected with that event, people started a ritual of making a wooden figure of Holi and burning it every year, roaming and singing around the fire, putting ash on the body, etc.
• This is shown as an example of how one bad action and wrong belief can start a wrong tradition, which then spreads.

From this angle, Jain writers say: Holi, as practiced with burning figures and dancing, did not start as a pure dharmik festival, but from fear and ignorance, not from true spiritual understanding.

4. How do many Jains handle Holi practically today?

In many Jain families:

• They avoid:

- strong chemical colours - water balloons, pichkārī, mud, eggs etc. - drinking, singing vulgar songs, non‑veg food, night‑long noise.

• They prefer:

- “saṁyami” or “spiritual Holi” – satsang, pravachan, bhakti, jain stotra, samayik, pratikraman. - Flower Holi or very soft herbal colour, only with consent, without disturbing anyone. - Using the day to remember: - “I should burn my krodh, mān, māyā, lobh (anger, pride, deceit, greed), not burn wood or harm jīvas.”

Some Jain sanghs do special pūjā, vidhaan, or bhakti programmes on Holi day, keeping it sattvik and ahimsak.

5. How should a Jain ideally think about Holi?

In simple words:

• Holi is not a Jain religious duty.
• If you join it socially, it should be:

- Ahimsak – no injury to any living being. - Sahej & maryādā‑pūrṇ – simple, decent, without intoxication or misbehaviour. - Spiritual – use the day to “burn” inner vices, not to increase karmas.

So, a Jain approach can be:

> “For me, every day is a day to colour my soul with > samyak darshan, samyak jñān, samyak chāritra, > and to burn my paap and passions – that is my real Holi.”