Why is it celebrated?
Lohri is a popular festival celebrated by the Punjabi community in North India. It is an agricultural festival celebrated in the shivering cold of January. The festival marks the end of the bitter winter and welcomes the spring season. Lohri, celebrated in North India, coincides with Makar Sakranti of Bengal, Tai Pongal of Kerela, Pongal of Tamil Nadu and Magha Bihu of Assam. It is dedicated to fire and sun.
Importance:
Lohri is the celebration of the harvest of the winter crop- Rabi. Wheat is the main Rabi crop, which is sown in October and harvested in the months of March and April. In January, the fields are almost ready with the crop, so farmers celebrate lohri during this rest period for getting an abundant crop and prosper. It is also known as the bonfire festival of North India.
The history of this festival is as old as the Indus Valley Civilization. According to folk lore, Dulha Bhatti, the king of the ruling clan Bhatti was put to death by a Mughal king. Dulha Bhatti was just and fair and revolted against the Mughals. He was like an Indian Robin hood, who robbed the rich to help the poor. People looked up to him, and on the day of Lohri, they remember their beloved leader.
How is it celebrated?
preparation for the day start weeks in advance, so that people can relax, have fun and celebrate with traditional folk dances and songs on this day. On the morning of Lohri, children team up and go from door-to-door singing and asking for money, eatables like sesame seeds, jaggery, peanuts and seasonal sweets like rewri. They sing joyously in praise of Dulha Bhatti and his bravado.
As the sun sets, huge bonfires are setup in front of the fields and people’s houses, and people gather around in a celebratory mood. People offer popcorn, puffed rice, etc to the bonfire and pray for prosperity. Thereafter, bhangra and gidda dances are performed by men and women.
When is it celebrated?
Lohri falls mid-January, on the day of winter solstice.
Where is it celebrated?
It is widely celebrated in Punjab, Chandigarh, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh.