Every year, Holi arrives like a collective exhale. After weeks of restraint, rituals and routine, the air suddenly fills with colour, laughter and unapologetic joy. It feels liberating, but according to one neurologist, that feeling isn’t just cultural. It’s neurological.
Dr Sikandar Adwani, neurologist and director at Radiant Superspeciality Hospital, recently broke down the “brain science” of Holi in a YouTube video. His explanation connects fasting, fire rituals, music, touch and even forgiveness to measurable changes inside the brain. Here’s what’s really happening when you throw that first handful of gulal.
A brain primed for pleasure
Holi doesn’t appear out of nowhere. It follows weeks of spiritual discipline, Shivratri fasting, Ekadashi observances, and periods of reduced stimulation. According to Dr Adwani, when the brain experiences lower stimulation for a sustained period, its receptors become more sensitive. In simple terms, the brain becomes primed. It’s like turning down background noise before a big crescendo; when joy finally arrives, it lands harder.
Neuroscience supports this idea. Reduced sensory input can heighten responsiveness later. So by the time Holi morning comes around, your brain is biologically more receptive to pleasure.
The calming power of Holika Dahan
The night before Holi, communities gather around the ceremonial fire known as Holika Dahan. It’s symbolic, good over evil, but it’s also physiologically grounded. Dr Adwani notes that research suggests sitting near a fire can lower blood pressure and promote a sense of calm. Firelight has been associated with reduced stress responses and stronger social bonding. When an entire neighbourhood gathers around the same flame, the sense of belonging intensifies.
He describes this night as a kind of “brain reset”. Stress eases. The nervous system slows down. Social connection deepens. In short, your emotional baseline stabilises before the next day’s high-energy celebration.
Colour, touch and the sensory explosion
Then comes the morning. And everything lights up. Throwing colour stimulates the visual cortex. Applying gulal activates touch receptors. Dancing to dhol releases endorphins, the body’s natural feel-good chemicals. Splashing water, laughing loudly, running through clouds of pink and yellow, all of it creates a full sensory surge.
Dr Adwani explains that this multi-sensory engagement encourages neural growth and stronger neural connections. Movement, rhythm and synchronised dancing in groups are particularly powerful; collective motion boosts bonding hormones and reinforces emotional connection. No wonder it feels euphoric. Your brain is firing on multiple joy circuits at once.
“Bura na maano”: The neuroscience of forgiveness
Holi also carries a social ritual that’s easy to overlook: forgiveness. When people say, “Bura na maano, Holi hai,” they’re signalling emotional permission, to let go, to reset relationships. According to Dr Adwani, acts of apology and forgiveness activate the prefrontal cortex, the part of the brain responsible for empathy, decision-making and emotional regulation.
Forgiveness reduces stress hormones and supports long-term mental wellbeing. In a festival setting, where laughter lowers defences, reconciliation becomes easier. The emotional release many people feel may come as much from mended relationships as from the colours themselves.
Anandamide: The molecule of bliss
In 1992, scientists identified a neurotransmitter associated with pleasure and named it anandamide, derived from the Sanskrit word “ananda”, meaning bliss. Dr Adwani points out that the naming itself is a quiet cultural nod. Anandamide plays a role in mood, motivation and reward pathways in the brain. Festivals like Holi, rich in connection, movement and novelty, naturally stimulate these systems.
Bliss, in other words, isn’t abstract. It’s biochemical.
More than a festival, a full neural experience
Holi’s emotional freedom isn’t accidental. It’s layered. First, the brain becomes sensitive through restraint. Then it is calmed through ritual fire. Next, it is flooded with sensory stimulation, music and movement. Finally, it is soothed through forgiveness and reconnection. It’s a masterclass in emotional design, centuries old, yet neurologically sophisticated.
So this year, when colours hit your skin and laughter rises without effort, remember: your brain has been preparing for this moment. Joy isn’t random. It’s wired in, and Holi simply knows how to unlock it.
Also read: What to do on Holi morning: Rituals to follow before playing with colours
