Festivals are the pride of India. Each one has its specialty. Every year lots of festivals are celebrated in our country throughout the year, and one of them is Lohri. Lohri celebration is a Sikh festival that is majorly observed in the northern part of India.
Every year on 13th January, the festival of Lohri is celebrated all over North India with great pomp and show. Before the beginning of the new year, people start preparing for this special festival Lohri. This occasion is celebrated with great enthusiasm just before one day of Makar Sankranti. Lohri is the festival of celebrating, laughing, dancing and singing, which dissolves sweetness in the hearts of people.
On this day, people unite and light a fire and worship it by adding Mungfali, ravedies and sesame seeds to it. At the same time, people who have a newborn child at their home or a child is going to get married. They call their friends as well as relatives to celebrate this festival with great enthusiasm. On this day Punjabi people play dhol and do the Bhangra.
History of Lohri
It is said that the fire of Lohri is lit in memory of Sati, the daughter of King Daksha. People say that once King Daksha performed a Yagya and he did not invite his son-in-law Shiva and daughter. Sati disappointed over this and she reached to her father to seek answers. Sati could not bear the condemnation of husband Shiva and she jumped in the same Yagya. Hearing the news of Sati’s death, Lord Shiva made Veerabhadra and caused the demolition of Yagya by him.
This story goes back to the Mughal era, at that time there were two orphan girls named Sundari and Mundari. The uncle of the two girls wanted to sell them to a wealthy moneylender. But then a robber named Dulla Bhatti rescued those girls from their uncle’s clutches and got them married to a good one. Since the festival of Lohri in Punjab was celebrated.
Lohri Celebration
Like other festivals, people of India celebrate Lohri with great joy and happiness. It is one of those festivals, which makes family and friends gather together and spend some quality time together. The people on Lohri meet with their friends and family and distribute sweets. This festival is especially important for farmers as it is considered the harvest season. People celebrate the festival and sing around the bonfires highlighting the festival and dancing. People throw gur, rewari, sugar-candies and til seeds in fire and Everyone sing and dance around the fire.
On this day, a puja ceremony is held in every house in the evening. This is the time when people seek blessings from the Almighty by doing piety and offering worship. As per the customs and rituals of the people of this day, they eat food such as gud, til, mufli, falia and maize bread with prasad. Apart from that day, people also wear new clothes and perform Bhangra which is a folk dance of Punjab. Lohri marks the beginning of a new year for the farmers. This festival also holds great importance for newly married couples and newborns. On this day the newly married bride receives gifts from all the family members and should wear all the ornaments that the bride usually wears on her wedding day.
People gather and hear kathas on this day of Lohri and one of the Katha is the story of Dulla Bhatti. During the time of the Mughals, a young man named Dulla Bhatti protected the girls of Punjab. Many girls were being sold to rich merchants in the Mughal terror. Dulla Bhatti got these girls free and got them married in Hindu society. On the occasion of Lohri, people remember Dulla Bhatti as a hero. They sing songs memorizing them
Facts About Lohri
- Lohri marks the end of winter and it is believed that Lohri night is the coldest night of the winter and the longest night of the year.
- It is believed that the origin of Lohri started because of the “Tale of Dulla Bhatti”, a bandit in Punjab during Akbar times. He is also called the Robinhood of Punjab. He once rescued Hindu girls who were being forcibly taken to be sold as slaves in the market of the Middle East. Not only this, they even arranged their marriages to Hindu boys. Dulla Bhatti is the central character in most Lohri songs as a gesture to express gratitude towards him.
- Lohri is known as the festival of Harvest. January is the time period to harvest sugarcane crops and products like jaggery and gajak. These are very essential for Lohri celebrations.
- People gather around the bonfire, throw puffed rice and popcorn into the fire, chanting “aadar aye dilather jaye” with great belief meaning “may honor come and poverty vanish”.
- Lohri is also to thank the Sun God and seek the continued protection and blessings for the coming year.
- According to the Hindu calendar, Lohri is celebrated on the last day of Paush, after sunset. which is celebrated on the 13th day of January according to the English calendar.
- On the day Lohri, everyone gathers around the bonfire and offer til, gud, mungfali, lava etc. in the flames and by singing Lohri songs, people greet each other.
- People say that Holika and Lohri were sisters. In the holi fire, Holika perished but Lohri survived with Prahlad. It is believed that word Lohri is originated from the word ‘loh’ which means warmth and light of the fire. Also, people believe that the Lohri got its title from the wife of Sant Kabir, her name was Loi.
- Before 20 to 25 days of Lohri, people collect wood and dung cakes boys and sing folk songs of ‘Lohri’. A Lohri fire is lit at the open space in the locality.
- People earlier used to call Lohri as a Tilodi but due to the change over time, people started calling Tidoli as Lohri. The Lohri Festival is celebrated mainly in Punjab and Haryana with great pomp. As well as it is also celebrated in other parts of the country.