Dehradun in March: Holi, Phool Dei, the Jhanda Mela and spring

The weather: winter leaves in a hurry

March is the month the heaters go back in the cupboard. IMD’s 1991–2020 normals put the average high at 27.4 °C, about five degrees warmer than February’s 22.5 °C, and the average night at 13.1 °C. In practice the first week can still feel like winter after dark, and the last week feels like early summer by 2 pm.

Rain is light and comes in short spells, about 46 mm over three or so days in an average March. What March does have is thunder. IMD counts more than four thunder days in a normal March, and there is a small chance of hail. A grey afternoon can turn into a loud, quick storm and clear by evening. Fog is no longer part of the picture: IMD records no fog days for Dehradun in March, against 1.7 in an average January.

The light changes too. Sunrise moves from about 6:45 am to just after 6 am over the month, and sunset slips past 6:30 pm. That extra hour makes a real difference for day trips. Check the IMD Dehradun forecast the day before anything outdoors.

Holi on Tuesday 23 March

The central government holiday list for 2027 puts Holi on Tuesday 23 March, with Holika Dahan the evening before, Monday 22 March. Holika Dahan is the bonfire night; Holi itself is the day of colour.

Plan around it. Holi is on the central government holiday list and the High Court of Uttarakhand’s calendar, and it is not a good day to drive out of the city with the windows down. With Holika Dahan on the Monday, plenty of people make a four-day break of Saturday 20 to Tuesday 23 March, so expect the roads to the hills to be busy.

If you’re playing Holi, wear clothes you won’t miss and oil your hair and skin first. Keep phones in a zip bag. If you’d rather not play, say so early and plan an indoor morning.

Phool Dei, the flower festival

Phool Dei is Uttarakhand’s own welcome to spring. It falls on Chaitra Sankranti, the first day of Chaitra in the solar calendar, which lands on 14 or 15 March each year. Children collect seasonal flowers and leave them, with a little rice, on the doorsteps of homes, singing for the household’s good fortune. On 14 March 2026, ANI reported the Chief Minister marking the day with children at his residence in Dehradun.

It is a quiet, home-level festival, not a public event with a venue. For 2027 it is expected around Sunday 14 March, not yet announced. If you see small heaps of flowers on doorsteps that morning, that is Phool Dei.

The Jhanda Mela at Darbar Sahib

The Jhanda Mela is the festival that is most truly Dehradun’s own. It commemorates the first settlement in the valley, founded by Guru Ram Rai in the 17th century, and it begins on the fifth day after Holi with the lowering of the old flagpole at Shri Darbar Sahib and the raising of a new one in the afternoon. In 2026 the flag went up on Sunday 8 March, the pole was 94 feet tall, and the mela ran until 26 March, with sangats (groups of devotees) arriving from Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh.

With Holi on 23 March, the 2027 flag day is expected around Saturday 27 March, not yet announced. Watch local news in early March for the confirmed date. For the ceremony, crowd advice and the route, see our Jhanda Mela guide.

March 2027, week by week

The last ten days of March are the busy stretch: Holi, then Good Friday, then the Jhanda Mela flag day, back to back. If you want a quieter visit, come in the first half of the month. If you want the festivals, book that week early and keep your plans inside the city on the busiest days.

Getting here in March

March is past the winter fog season, but the Holi and Good Friday weekends are when everyone travels at once. Book early on IRCTC and check running status on NTES on the day. If you’re driving up from Delhi, avoid leaving on the Saturday morning of 20 March or the Friday of 26 March if you can.

How we’d spend a March week

• Use the long evenings. Sunset is after 6:15 pm all month, so a day out can end later than in winter. Outdoor sights like the Forest Research Institute are pleasant all day now.
• Do the hills before the heat. March is a good month for a day in Mussoorie, but a storm in the valley can mean rain higher up, and sometimes snow. Check our roads and weather guide the night before.
• Keep Holi morning slow. Play near where you’re staying or sit it out, and go out later in the day once the streets have calmed down.
• Skip driving on flag day. If you’re not going to the Jhanda Mela, plan a day well away from Darbar Sahib.
• Pack for two seasons. Cotton for the afternoons, a light jacket or shawl for the mornings and nights, and an umbrella for the odd thunderstorm.

Staying with us in March

Fyonli Nest has two bedrooms, the green room and the red room, each with a king bed. It sleeps 4 adults, or up to 6 guests with children aged 2–12, which suits a family coming for Holi. The courtyard catches the morning sun, which is lovely in March before it gets warm, and there is parking in the courtyard too. A pahadi breakfast of mandua roti, aloo and seasonal fruit is ₹350 per guest per morning; tell us the night before. There’s a full kitchen if you’d rather cook, and fast Wi-Fi and a desk if you’re working through the week.

We live ten minutes away and meet guests at the gate. As our Instagram puts it, “We help our guests to experience the best of local places,” so ask us about the festival days when you arrive. Send your dates on WhatsApp or through the booking request on our stay page. We confirm on WhatsApp, there’s no payment until we do, and cancellation is free until 7 days before arrival.

Sources: IMD climatological table, Dehradun (1991–2020); IMD Meteorological Centre Dehradun; Sunrise-Sunset.org: Dehradun, March 2027; DoPT: holidays for central government offices, 2027 (16 July 2026); High Court of Uttarakhand: calendar 2027; ANI (14 Mar 2026): Phool Dei at the CM’s residence; Bhakti Bharat: Phool Dei and Meen Sankranti; Times of India (8 Mar 2026): Jhanda Mela flag hoisting; NTES; IRCTC.