Everything you should know about Lohri

Everything you should know about Lohri

With the impending arrival of 2020, Lohri is right around the corner as well. In case you belong from Punjab, Himachal Pradesh or Jammu, you may be acquainted with the festival of Lohri. Even if you are not from the above regions, you would know the festival if you are an ardent follower of the Indian film industry and have visualized the famous Lohri song from Veer Zara that was starred by Shah Rukh Khan and Amitabh Bachchan. In that song, the protagonists wished Lohri happy Lohri to everyone.

The festival is quite significant for the people who are associated with agricultural activities. Since Punjab is the most agricultural state of India, Lohri plays an integral part in the life of the people of that part of India.

Why is Lohri celebrated, and what is the significance of the festival?

Punjab is one of the states in India that produces a massive quantity of wheat every year, and the crop is quite crucial for the people of that state. The seeds of wheat are sowed in October and are harvested between March and April. During the time of January, the crops start showing promises, and the Lohri festival is celebrated to commemorate a fertile production of the crop.

Though now the festival is mostly associated with crop harvesting and happiness, in ancient times, the reason for the inception of the festival was quite different. Earlier people used to pray to the SunSun by chanting and singing Lohri songs that had some hymns to protect them from the intense cold. Gradually people started praying all the said hymns by circling around a ring of fire. The festival was dedicated to the SunSun in the hope of getting some heat and warmth.

Other historians have some different thoughts. According to them, the ring of fire was made to keep the people safe from wild animals. To make things more reliable, more and more people started joining the circle to be united and hence form a community. The young members of the family had the duty to collect woods from the adjoining jungles. Still, now young girls and boys are responsible for bringing the woods for the fire, and many young couples pray for a child during the Lohri celebration.

Another new myth of the inception of the Lohri festival states the story of Dulla Bhatti. The lore is that a Muslim mas named Dulla Bhatti who happened to be a robber used to save the Hindu girls from getting sold. The man also made arrangements so that the said girls could get married. It is said that the entirety of Punjab started this festival to commemorate Dulla Bhatti every year.

When will the festival of Lohri be held in 2020?

In general, Lohri Makar Sankranti is held in the middle of January and in 2020 too; the Lohri 2020 festival will be held on January 13. The festival usually is celebrated to bid farewell to the winter that generally happens after January in the Northern parts of India. Apart from that, the festival is genuinely held for celebrating the harvest season.

How is Lohri celebrated across India?

The festival of Lohri takes place in the dark after the SunSun goes down. All the people of a community start the celebration by creating a bonfire in the communal area. Usually, the woods for building a fire is brought by the small children of the city from an adjoining forest or bush. Then the festival genuinely commences by dancing and singing Lohri song in Punjabi.

Another essential part of the festival includes the people throwing puffed rice, peanuts and rice and even sweets into the bonfire. After the chanting and singing of the Lohri song, sweets are distributed among the participating members. The Prasaad includes Jaggery; Revri and Gajak, that is a type of sweet made of Sesame seeds; Phuliya, that is made from puffed rice; peanuts and popcorns. Lohri is concluded after every present member of the community completes the rounds around the bonfire while singing the sacred songs.

Bhangra is a considerable part of the festival because the men of the Sikh community have to perform on the songs to celebrate a truly Lohri Happy Lohri. The women usually play Gidda, that is another form of traditional Punjabi dance. All the dance routines are accompanied with dholaks, drums and other musical instruments. Those who do not dance, participate in the festival by singing the popular folk songs of Punjab.

Apart from dancing and singing, acrobatics, races and numerous other games are an essential part of the celebration. If you visit Punjab or Haryana during Lohri festival, you will notice that there are several different fairs, cultural programmes, sports tournaments and other exciting activities organized in that period. You will get to eat several various Punjabi delicacies during that time from the multitude of food stalls accompanying the festival.

Where is the Lohri celebrated in India?

Lohri is celebrated in the Northern part of India where there is a significant presence of people belonging to the Sikh community. That is why Lohri Happy Lohri is celebrated mostly in Punjab and Haryana. Though in other parts of India like Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Delhi, the festival is celebrated quite grandly because there are a lot of Punjabi people out there. Mainly in places like Ludhiana, Amritsar, Jalandhar, Delhi and many more, you will be able to experience the authentic feeling of Lohri genuinely. Nowadays, many people of different communities come together to participate in the communal festival of Lohri in metropolitan areas like Kolkata, Mumbai or Hyderabad.

How is Lohri celebrated across India?

In Punjab, people celebrate the Harvest festival in the name of Lohri, but across India, the festival is celebrated in different forms. You may have heard or experienced those in your regions, but in the following section, you will get to know the various aspects of Lohri celebration.

Hadaga

In Maharasthra, Lohri is celebrated by the name of Hadaga festival, and they pray for ample rainfall for a good harvest. The people in Maharashtra pray to Lord Indra for an ample harvest since Indra is the lord of rain.

Bihu/ Bohaggiyo

The Assamese people celebrate Lohri in the form of Bihu or Bohaggiyo. Though the concept between the Lohri Happy Lohri and Bihu is quite similar in the sense that both the festivals unite the entire community, but Bihu is entirely non-religious. People of all religion come together to celebrate Bihu every single year.

Ganga Sagar Mela

Ganga Sagar Mela is celebrated during the same time when Lohri is celebrated, and it is said to be one of the largest fairs of India. Millions of people gather from all around the country to gather in the area of Ganga Sagar in the middle of January every year. The festival occurs in West Bengal.

Pongal

Pongal is not only one of the most famous festivals in Southern India but India as well. It is celebrated during the time of Lohri. It is also dedicated to creating peace and harmony among the people of the world. People from different communities and religions gather around to celebrate fraternity and unity.

Makar Sankranti

Lohri Makar Sakranti goes hand in hand. Not only it celebrates the end of the winter solstice, but it also held every year on January 14. It usually celebrates the journey of the Sun towards Uttarayan.

Uttarayan

Uttarayan is celebrated in Gujarat every year on January 14 during the time of Lohri to commemorate the Sun genuinely. All across the state, the festival brings people from every community together.

Which places should one visit to experience Lohri?

In case you want to view the fantastic Lohri celebration, you should visit the places mentioned below to grasp the authentic essence genuinely.

Jalandhar

Jalandhar is one of the places in Punjab that despite being modern and tech-savvy love to celebrate Lohri festival authentically. Not only do they incorporate all the traditions and customs, but you will be able to taste excellent Punjabi cuisines as well.

Amritsar

If you want to have a Lohri Happy Lohri, you should visit Amritsar during the middle of January. Not only is the festival celebrated in a massively grand way, but there are numerous fairs, cultural functions, food stalls and other activities that will keep you busy for the said time.

Chandigarh

Not only Chandigarh the cleanest city in India, but you will also be amazed at how well they celebrate Lohri. Every people from the town are quite excited about the festival and hence make the celebration unique.

Delhi

If you visit Subhash Nagar, Tilak Nagar, Karol Bagh and other Punjabi colonies in Delhi, you will get surprised by how the Lohri festival is conceived out there.

In case, you are planning to experience Lohri 2020; you should go on the internet and start making your bookings right now because people from all around the world come to the places mentioned above to witness the festival.