Lohri: A festival to be Celebrated with love and equality

Thursday, November 17, 2011

Lohri is fundamentally an agricultural festival, and is celebrated on the 13th day of January, a day before Makar Sankranti. Lohri is filled with fun and merry-making. While, it is essentially a Punjabi festival, it is celebrated in many states of North India as well. It also marks the culmination of winter, and people also believe that it is the time after which the biting cold of the winters begins to taper off.

For Punjabis, Lohri is not merely a festival, but is an example of a way of life. People gather round the bonfires, throw sweets, puffed rice, and popcorn into the flames, sing popular songs and exchange greetings. During the day, children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, the Punjabi version of Robin Hood, a thief who helped the poor and fought for their rights.

Lohri holds a special significance for the newly weds and the newborns. The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride or a newborn represents a grand occasion. It is celebrated with great fervor and on a larger scale. Females attire themselves in heavy clothes and jewelry, while men wear attractive clothes and turbans. The festival is then celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. This was my first Lohri after my marriage and the celebrations wer [...]



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