Lohri, a popular harvest festival, is commemorated a day before Makar Sankranti on January 13. The festival is a celebration to mark the end of peak and harsh winter. People get together with community members and light bonfire to give a warm welcome to the longer and warmer days on this day. Lohri day is decided based on the Hindu calendar. It is celebrated mainly in the northern states of India by people of Hindu and Sikh faith.
Lohri History
There are several folklores associated with Lohri history. Lohri is celebrated to mark the arrival of longer days after the winter solstice. The Lohri festival is observed as the sun proceeds on its northward journey and the days get longer. It is also considered that Lohri is celebrated as a homage to the sun god for gracing everyone with his presence and also for the bumper harvest. Another tale of Lohri dates back to the time of Dulla Bhatti. He is considered as the legendary hero in Punjab who led a rebellion against Mughal emperor Akbar. Because of his acts of bravery and courage, he gradually became folklore off Punjab. To express the gratitude, almost every Lohri song in Punjab has words of his name in it.
Significance of Lohri
Lohri is usually celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti, though both the festivals are similar. People enjoy this festival, by walking around the fire and singing and dancing. Punjabi men perform Bhangra while women perform gidda which are basically the Punjabi folk dance. It is said that the word Lohdi has been derived from two different words namely Lah meaning dried upper leaf and Dhi meaning Revdi.
People worship new crops on Lohdi and express their gratitude to nature. Lohri marks the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of the harvest season of Rabi crops in Punjab. It is celebrated to pray for a good harvest cropping season. According to some beliefs, Lohri is considered to be Holika’s sister who, along with Bhakt Prahlad, survived the fire while other beliefs also say that the festival was named after Loi, the name of saint Kabir’s wife. That is why people ignite a bonfire to mark Lohri celebration every year.
Lohri celebration
Lohri celebration is a big part of Punjabi families. The day is usually celebrated with a bonfire as it is considered as an ancient tradition. In Punjab, the day is marked by eating the sheaves of roasted corn from the new harvest. People get dressed up in colourful attires and sing and dance around the bonfires. Popcorns, Rewari and groundnuts are also offered to the bonfire.
Legend of Dulla Bhatti
There is legend of Dulla Bhatti that is sung as a central theme among many Lohri songs. He was hailed as a hero of Punjab. He saved the Hindu girls from being abducted and taken forcibly into slave trading to the Middle East. Among the girls he saved, there were Sundri and Mundri who gradually became the theme of Lohri song.
In many places of Punjab, 10 to 15 days before the festival of Lohri, teenagers and children go around the neighbourhood in search of logs for the bonfire. They also ask for treats from the elders in the neighbourhood.
How do we Celebrate Lohri?
On the day of Lohri, people wear ethnic clothes and eat peanuts, jaggery, sesame, and gajak. In the evening, they burn Lohri and put the above-mentioned eatable items in the bonfire. Further, they revolve around it, sing folk songs, and pray for their happy life. The festival holds great importance, especially for newlywed couples. On Lohri, they offer sacrifice in the fire and wish for a happy married life.
