Lohri Festival

Lohri festival is celebrated mainly in northern India and is celebrated on the night before Makar Sankranti . for punjabis, more that just a festival, Lorhi is also an example of a way of life. Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life. 

Amidst the freezing cold weather, with the temperature wobbling between 0-5 degrees Celsius and the dense fog outside, everything seems stagnant in the northern part of india. The long-awaited bonfire festivalv- when they can come out of their homes and celebrate the harvesting of the rabi(winter) crops and give in to relaxing and enjoying the traditional folk songs and dances.

                                                                

On this day children go from door to door to collect funds for community bonfires which are lit up in the evening. The gatherings and celebrations make Lohri a community festival. Children also demands for Lohri ‘loot’ in the form of money and eatables like til(sesame) seeds, peanuts, jaggery, or sweets like gajak, rewri etc.

In the evening when the sun setting down , huge bonfires are lit in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses and people gather aroung the rising flames, circle around(parikrama) the bonfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other munchies into the fire, shouting ”Aadar aye dilather jaye”(may honor come and poverty vanish!),  and sing popular songs. This is a sort of prayer to agni, the fire god, to bless the land with abundance and prosperity. After the parikrama, people meet friends and relatives, exchange greeting and gifts. After that bhangra dance by men begins after the offering to the bonfire, dancing continues till late night.

Lohri is fundamentally an agricultural festival filled with merry-making. It is celebrated in the state of Punjab on the 13^th of January, which falls one day before Makar sankranti.