What is the History of Lohri? Why is it Celebrated Lohri Festival?

What is the History of Lohri?

Religious Fact: As per the Hindu calendar , within the mid-January, the world starts its journey towards the sun bringing end to Paush, the coldest month of the year. consistent with the Shrimad Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna manifests his full divinity during the amount of Lohri. each day later, the auspicious Makara Sankranthi helds which marks the top of the winter season. Thousands of Hindus bath within the Ganges to nullify their sins.

Social Fact: Wheat is that the main winter crop within the northern parts of India. This winter (rabi) crop is sown within the months of October and harvested in March or April. Farmers and their families celebrate Lohri during January (rest period) before the cutting of crops. Thus, Punjabis and Haryanavis celebrate Lohri because the “harvest festival”. Most farmers from rural Punjab consider the day after Lohri because the starting of latest fiscal year . The Sindhi community popularly call Lohri as “Lal loee”. On the festive day, children request their grandparents and aunties for wood sticks which are burnt within the bonfire.

How is Lohri celebrated?

Lohri Loot: On the morning of Lohri, enthusiastic children wearing new clothes reach the neighbourhood doors singing praise songs on Dulha Bhatti (a legendary Punjabi rebellion alike Robin Hood who led protests against the powerful Mughal emperor Akbar) and posing for generous Lohri ‘loot’ within the sort of money and delicacies like sesame seeds (til) ladoos, peanuts, jaggery, and traditional sweetmeats like rewri, gajak etc.

Bonfire Ritual: Lohri marks the top of the chilly winter. within the evening, after the sunset, huge logs of woods are gathered and lit within the harvested fields. True-spirited, fun-loving men and ladies revolve around the rising flames, do parikrama (rotate round the bonfire) thrice and toss cold cereal , peanuts, and sweets into the hearth , uttering “Aadar aye dilather jaye (May prosperity arrive and poverty fade away!)”. After praying to the hearth god (Agni), people meet their relatives and friends to exchange greetings and prasad (offerings made to the hearth god). Hindus pour milk and water round the bonfire. This ritual is performed to honor the Sun God for his warm protection. Traditionally, the offering comprises of 5 main eateries: roasted sesame seeds, jaggery, gajak, popcorn, and peanuts. Then, sturdy, hearty men beat the dhol (traditional drum) announcing the starting of the festivity. Both energetic men and ladies wearing colourful ethnic attire perform Giddha and Bhangra (popular folk dances) circling the bonfire.

Welcoming Party: Many wealthy families arrange for personal Lohri celebrations in their houses. Several rituals are performed to rejoice the birth of a baby or arrival of a replacement bride.

Dining Feast: Lohri harvest ceremony ends with scrumptious dinner. After merry-making throughout the day, everyone looked forward to the normal banquet comprising of makki di roti (hand rolled bread made from millet), sarson da saag (cooked mustard greens), and rau di kheer (dessert made from rice and sugarcane juice).

Rewri and groundnuts, anyone?As anyone who has ever celebrated the festival fully fervour round the bonfire would tell you--gur rewri, peanuts and popcorns are the three edibles related to this festival. Besides these, in Punjab's villages, it's a practice to eat gajjak, sarson da saag and makki di roti on the day of Lohri. it's also traditional to eat 'til rice'--sweet rice made with jaggery (gur) and sesame seeds.

The logic behind consuming these food items is--the general time to sow sugarcane is January to March, and therefore the harvesting period is between December and March. the opposite important food item of Lohri is radish, which may be harvested between October and January.

Punjabi folkloreIf you haven't heard Punjabi women go round the fire singing "Sunder mundriye ho!", you clearly haven't had the prospect to go to Punjab around Lohri.

The folklore--Sunder Mundriye--is actually the story of a person called Dulla Bhatti, who is claimed to possess lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Being quite the 'Robin Hood' back within the day, Dulla Bhatti wont to supposedly steal from the rich, and rescue poor Punjabi girls being taken forcibly to be sold in slave markets. He then went on to rearrange their marriages to boys of the village, and provided them with dowries (from the stolen money). Amongst these girls were Sundri and Mundri, who have now come to be related to Punjab's folklore, Sunder Mundriye.