Lohri Festival  2024 – Varanasi Tours Aktha Pahariya

(Varanasi, the Second Online Tour)

Lohri is a folk festival in Punjab. It is mainly celebrated by the Sikhs and Hindus of the Punjab region. It is celebrated in the winter season on the 13th of January every year. Lohri is also known as Lai Loee. Lohri is celebrated on the shortest day of the year.

Apart from Punjab. It is also one of the important festivals in Haryana,  Himachal Pradesh and Jammu. For Punjabi, it is the start of the financial New Year.  In Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, it is celebrated as Bhogi, one day before Makara Sankranti.

The first Lohri of a newborn child and a newlywed bride is considered very auspicious. The Festival is mainly about thanking God for giving prosperity. Bonfires are created in front of the house and relatives are called for the occasions. Puffed rice and sweets are thrown into the bonfire. Punjabis perform Punjabi Gidda and Bhangra which a popular dance forms in Punjab to the beats of the Dhol.

As a ritual, young boys and girls ask for lohri which can be in the form of cash or sweets. Traditional dinner is arranged by the family members. Prasadham is made from six items. This includes Til, Gazak, Gur, Moongphali, Phuliya and popcorn. Prasadham is distributed to all the family members. The word ‘Lohri’ is also believed to originate from the regional word ‘loh’ which means the warmth and light of the fire.

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According to mythological tales, Lohri was considered Holika’s sister who, when put on fire with Prahlad and Holika, survived while Holika got burnt in the fire. Another very interesting story behind Lohri is related to Saint Kabir. It is said that the Lohri word comes from Loi, who was the wife of the famous Saint Kabir whereas some stories state that the name of the festival was developed from til and Lohri, which is considered an important part of the sweet dishes on this day. Like other festivals in India, Lohri is also associated with some legendary tales.

One of the many interesting legendary tales has it that in a place that lies between Gujaranwals and Sialkot, there was a dense forest named Rakh. The forest was the safe haven of Dulla Bhatti, a dacoit who was considered the messiah of Punjab. This brave and benevolent man was always helpful to the needy. In the kingdom of Mughal Emperor Akbar, a man spread the rumor that one of his relatives was very beautiful and would do justice to the Muslim harem. To this information, the Mughal officers wanted to carry her forcibly. The girl’s father was very anxious about this and sought protection from Dulla Bhatti. He at once got her married to a young boy of his religion at a simple ceremony. He matched the sacred fire in keeping with Hindu custom. Since there was no pundit to chant the Sanskrit mantras, he broke into a melodious song to add cheer to the occasion. This song is sung even today on occasion.

In another version of Lohri’s legend and tales, it is said that in ancient times human beings lit fires to keep away carnivorous animals and protect their habitations. Everyone in the community would contribute to the fire for which young boys and girls collect firewood from the jungle to burn.  The Lohri bonfire is considered an old symbol of protecting oneself with the community, and it is also considered a form of worship. The Lohri fire is pious, and it is to this fire that everyone, including new couples pray.

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 We, at The 2^nd Online Travel, wish a happy Lohri to all our readers!

RameshVerma CMD, the Second Online Travel,Aktha , Pahariya, Varanasi       

Lohri Festival  2024 – Varanasi  Tours Akha Pahariya