Author: Swati Mohandas
Lohri is a popular winter festival celebrated primarily by people of the Punjabi and Sikh community in North India. It is celebrated a night before Makar Sankranti, a festival which is celebrated mainly by Hindus.
Lohri holds great importance for farmers as this festival heralds the beginning of harvest season and the ripening of winter crops. The festival also celebrates the arrival of warmer winters as after Lohri, the days get longer and the nights shorter.
This festival is celebrated by lighting bonfires, singing of Lohri songs, dancing and eating festive food. Lightning bonfire is an ancient tradition. Folklore believes that the flames of the bonfire lit on the day of Lohri carry the messages and prayers of the people to the Sun god to bring warmth to the planet to help crops grow.
Indian people pray to Lord Surya(Sun God) also for prosperity and joy. This festival fosters a sense of togetherness, gratitude and unity among people.
People wear their brightest clothes and come to dance the bhangra and the traditional giddato the beat of the dhol. Sarson da saag with makki di roti is usually served as the main course for dinner.
In Punjab, Lohri is marked by eating sheaves of roasted corn from the new harvest. The Sugarcane harvest too is celebrated in this festival. The bonfire is lit at sunset and people toss sesame seeds, gur, sugar candy in the bonfire. They sit around it, sing and dance till the fire dies out. Some people perform a prayer and go around the fire to show respect to the fire element.
On this note, I would like to wish everyone that the bonfire of Lohri takes away all your worries and fills your life with happiness.
About the Author:
I am a Philosophy graduate and a certified computer professional from Mumbai and based in Pune with my family from the last 2 decades.
Literature always fancied me. I pen down short stories, blogs, poems and has forayed into freelance content writing. I even published an award-winning book of collected poems titled ‘Myriad Whispers’ which is available on Amazon.
When not writing, I enjoy listening to music, exploring the outdoors and scanning local bookstores.
Such an insightful article, Swati