One of the main Punjabi festivals, Lohri, is being celebrated on January 13 this year. It marks the culmination of winter with the worship of fire. This festival is meant to be celebrated on the shortest day and longest night of the year.
Families gather to cook a delicious spread of winter dishes, sing songs and offer special prayers to celebrate the festival.
People believe that lighting fire in the evening of Lohri signifies the start of longer days. The bonfire is the highlight of the celebration as it symbolises the end of winter. Also, Lohri is known as a harvest festival as, traditionally, it is the time to harvest sugarcane crops.
Therefore, sugarcane product jaggery (gurh) is the main sweet during this festival. Other items that are relished by people during this time are til (sesame) seeds, peanuts, and sweets like gazzak, rewri, etc. Also, radish is an important food item, which is harvested between October and January.
To celebrate Lohri, people, especially Punjabis, gather to form a circle around a bonfire and throw puffed rice and popcorn into it. They can be seen chanting "Aadae aye dilather jaye", which means "May honour come and poverty vanish", together.
The celebrations also include folk songs, men doing Bhangra on drum beats and women performing Gidda. Also, kite flying is a popular activity in Punjab during the festival, which is also known as Makar Sankranti.
As we celebrate the festival on Saturday, let's wish our loved ones by sending them greetings.
May this festival of zeal and verve fill your life with lots of energy and enthusiasm and may it help you bring happiness and prosperity to you and your loved ones. Happy Lohri to one and all!
Punjabi Bhangra te makhan-malai,
Punjabi tadka te dal frai,
Tuhanu LOHRI de lakh lakh vadhai..!!
HAPPY LOHRI
Mithaa gurh te vich mil geya til
udi patang te khil geya dil
har pal sukh te har vele shanty
paao rabb agge dua tusi
Lohri khushiyaan naal manaao!
Happy Lohri
Sarson da Saag-Makki di Roti, Mungfali te Gajak... Lohri is here. Happy Lohri!
This Lohri, choose to burn all your sadness and welcome the spring happiness. May god bring joy, good times and lot of happy memories this year. Happy Lohri.
Twanu and twade pure pariwaar nu, Lohri di lakh lakh vadaiya. Babaji kare twanu saari khushiya mile aur eh saal ronaka laaye. Happy Lohri.
Let the light of the Lohri fire kill the darkness of your life. Happy Lohri.
