Intheyear2012,Lohrifestivalwillbecelebratedon13thJanuary.LohrifestivalismainlycelebratedinPunjab,Haryana,DelhiandpartsofHimachalPradesh.LohrifestivalisnotonlycelebratedthroughoutIndiabutalsoaroundtheglobebyPunjabicommunities.ReadontoknowmoreaboutthesignificanceofLohriandritualsfollowedbyPunjabisonthisoccasion.MajorityofIndianfestivalsarecommontomostpartofthecountry.However,thefestivalsareknownbydifferentnamesindifferentstates.ForexampletheharvestfestivalisknownasPongalinSouthIndiawhileintheWestitiscelebratedasMakarSankranti.Differentculturesalsomeanthatdifferentritualsarefollowed.LohrifestivalmarkstheendofharvestseasoninNorthernIndia.AccordingtothebeliefsofBhagwatGeeta,itisanextremelysacredandauspicioustime,whenLordKrishnamanifestshimselfmosttangibly.FireGodisworshippedduringthisfestival.Bonfiresarelitintheeveningindividuallybyeachhouseholdorasagroupincommunities.Grainslikepeanuts,popcornandpuffedriceetcareceremonially`fed’tothefire.Lohricelebrationsincludealotofmusic,danceandfeastingofgoodies.LohrifestivalmarkstheendofwinteronthelastdayofPaushandthebeginningofMaghawhenthesunchangesitscourse.TheoriginofLohriisrelatedtothecentralcharacterDullaBhattiwhichisalsothesubjectofmostsongssungduringthefestival.InthisarticleSignificanceofLohriFestivalLohriRitualsModerndayCelebrationofLohriSignificanceofLohriFestivalItisbelievedthatDullaBhatti,aMuslimhighwayrobberlivedinPunjabduringthereignofEmperorAkbar.Legendhasitthatinadditiontorobbingtherich,heusedtorescueHindugirlswhowereforciblytakentobesoldinslavemarketoftheMiddleEast.HeusedtoarrangethemarriagesofthesegirlstoHinduboys,providedowriesandconductthemarriageceremonyasperHindurituals.DespitehisprofessionhethusbecameaheroofallPunjabis.SoeveryotherLohrisonghaswordstoexpressgratitudetoDullaBhatti.EventodayinmanypartsofPunjabsmallgroupsofboysvisithousesintheirlocalitychantingLohrisongsinpraiseofDullaBhattiintheearlyweeksofJanuary.Inreturn,theyaregivenpopcorn,peanuts,crystalsugar,sesameseeds(Til)orjaggery(Gur)aswellasmoney.LohriRitualsPeopleweartraditionaldressesandenjoyPunjabifooditemslike“MakkiDiRoti”and“SarsonDaSaag”.Lohriisaspecialoccasionwhichnotonlymarkstheharvestingseasonbutisalsoatimewhenpeoplegettomeettheirlovedonesandenjoythemselves.CeremoniesthatgowiththefestivalofLohriusuallyinvolvemakingasmallimageoftheLohriGoddesswithGobar(cattledung).Thisimageisdecoratedandafireiskindledbeneathit.Songsaresunginpraiseofthegoddess.Finallyatsunsetalargebonfireislit,sesameseeds,jaggery,sugar-candyand“Rewaris”aretossedintothefire.Peoplesitaroundthebonfire,singanddancetillthefirediesout.Somepeopletakedyingembersofthefiretotheirhomes.IntraditionalPunjabivillagehomes,fireiskeptgoingroundtheclockbyaddingcow-dungcakestoitatregularintervals.ModerndayCelebrationofLohriInthepresentmoderntimewithgreaterawarenessaboutenvironmentprotectionpeoplearegettingmoreandmoreconsciousaboutcuttingtreesandmakinguseofwoodforlightingbonfireforLohrifestival.Limiteduseofwoodandsmallbonfiresispreferredthesedays.ThegloryofthefestivalhowevercontinuestobemaintainedbyperformingtraditionalBhangradanceandsingingplays.Thankstomodernisationinadditiontothetraditional“Rewaris”chocolateChikkisandcakesareexchangedanddistributedbymanyfamilies.Thefestivalassumesgreatersignificanceandagrandercelebrationinfamilieswhereahappyeventlikethebirthofamalechildormarriagehashappenedduringtheyeargoneby.
In the year 2012, Lohri festival will be celebrated on 13th January. Lohri festival is mainly celebrated in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and parts of Himachal Pradesh. Lohri festival is not only celebrated throughout India but also around the globe by Punjabi communities. Read on to know more about the significance of Lohri and rituals followed by Punjabis on this occasion. Majority of Indian festivals are common to most part of the country. However, the festivals are known by different names in different states. For example the harvest festival is known as
Pongal in South India while in the West it is celebrated as
Makar Sankranti. Different cultures also mean that different rituals are followed.
Lohri festival marks the end of harvest season in Northern India. According to the beliefs of Bhagwat Geeta, it is an extremely sacred and auspicious time, when Lord Krishna manifests himself most tangibly. Fire God is worshipped during this festival. Bonfires are lit in the evening individually by each household or as a group in communities. Grains like peanuts, popcorn and puffed rice etc are ceremonially `fed’ to the fire. Lohri celebrations include a lot of music, dance and feasting of goodies.
Lohri festival marks the end of winter on the last day of Paush and the beginning of Magha when the sun changes its course. The origin of Lohri is related to the central character Dulla Bhatti which is also the subject of most songs sung during the festival.
Significance of Lohri Festival
It is believed that Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber lived in Punjab during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Legend has it that in addition to robbing the rich, he used to rescue Hindu girls who were forcibly taken to be sold in slave market of the Middle East. He used to arrange the marriages of these girls to Hindu boys, provide dowries and conduct the marriage ceremony as per Hindu rituals. Despite his profession he thus became a hero of all Punjabis. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti.
Even today in many parts of Punjab small groups of boys visit houses in their locality chanting Lohri songs in praise of Dulla Bhatti in the early weeks of January. In return, they are given popcorn, peanuts, crystal sugar, sesame seeds (
Til) or jaggery (
Gur) as well as money.
Lohri Rituals
People wear traditional dresses and enjoy Punjabi food items like “Makki Di Roti” and “Sarson Da Saag”. Lohri is a special occasion which not only marks the harvesting season but is also a time when people get to meet their loved ones and enjoy themselves.
Ceremonies that go with the festival of Lohri usually involve making a small image of the Lohri Goddess with Gobar (cattle dung). This image is decorated and a fire is kindled beneath it. Songs are sung in praise of the goddess. Finally at sunset a large bonfire is lit, sesame seeds, jaggery, sugar-candy and “Rewaris” are tossed into the fire. People sit around the bonfire, sing and dance till the fire dies out. Some people take dying embers of the fire to their homes. In traditional Punjabi village homes, fire is kept going round the clock by adding cow-dung cakes to it at regular intervals.
Modern day Celebration of Lohri
In the present modern time with greater awareness about environment protection people are getting more and more conscious about cutting trees and making use of wood for lighting bonfire for Lohri festival. Limited use of wood and small bonfires is preferred these days. The glory of the festival however continues to be maintained by performing traditional Bhangra dance and singing plays.
Thanks to modernisation in addition to the traditional “Rewaris” chocolate Chikkis and cakes are exchanged and distributed by many families. The festival assumes greater significance and a grander celebration in families where a happy event like the birth of a male child or marriage has happened during the year gone by.
