Lohri is one of the big festivals of states like Punjab, Haryana, and Delhi. People of Sikh and Punjabi communities celebrate this festival with great pomp. The Lohri festival is celebrated every year on 13 January. People of the Sikh community celebrate this festival with great pomp and circumambulation of fire on this day. Meanwhile, jaggery, peanuts, Rewari, Gajak, Popcorn etc. are offered in the fire. After this, family members, close friends, relatives etc. together perform Bhangra and Giddha on drums and wish each other a happy Lohri. Let us tell you why this festival is celebrated, why is it called Lohri and who are Dulla-Bhatti, without whose story the festival rituals are not complete.
Why is the festival of Lohri celebrated?
Lohri is a festival related to harvest and weather. In this season, the fields of farmers in Punjab start blooming. Rabi crop has been harvested. In such a situation, this festival is celebrated with great pomp to celebrate the joy of the new crop and before the preparation for the next sowing. The harvest is also worshiped on this day. Since there is cold weather at the time of Lohri, there is a tradition of lighting a fire and things made of sesame, peanuts, maize etc. are offered in this fire.
Why is this festival called Lohri?
In the word Lohri, La means wood, Oh means Goha i.e. burning of dry dung cakes and Ri means Revadi. That is why this festival is called Lohri. After Lohri, the weather starts changing and the effect of cold gradually starts reducing. On the occasion of this festival celebrated on cold nights, people light a fire with the help of wood and cow dung cakes, after which things made of sesame, peanuts, maize etc. are offered. It is said that after Lohri the cold also gradually starts decreasing.
Who are Dulla-Bhatti whose story is told on Lohri?
During the reign of Akbar, a person named Dulla Bhatti lived in Punjab. At that time people used to buy and sell girls for profit. Once upon a time, girls were being sold to rich businessmen in Sandalbar. Dulla Bhatti saw that girls of the area were being traded in exchange for goods. After this, he very cleverly not only freed those girls from the clutches of the traders but also saved their lives from getting ruined by getting them married. After this Dulla Bhatti started being seen as a hero. Lohri is a big festival of Punjab and is celebrated with family, friends and close ones. On such occasions, the story of Dulla Bhatti is told so that more and more people take inspiration from it and learn to protect and respect the women of the house. And help the needy.
Special Rituals of Lohri
- After lighting the bonfire during Lohri, family members, friends and other close people come together and circumambulate the fire. During parikrama, things like sesame seeds, peanuts, Gajak, Rewari, Chivda etc. are dedicated to Agni and later these are distributed as prasad.
- On the occasion of Lohri, people get ready by wearing new clothes. After this dance is done. Drums are played at many places. Men and women perform Bhangra and Giddha together. The special style of Punjab can be seen in these folk dances.
- Some special traditional songs are sung on the occasion of Lohri. People hug each other and wish each other a Happy Lohri. For new daughters-in-law, this day is even more special. These things make the festival of Lohri very special.
- The story of Dulla Bhatti is told on the occasion of Lohri. The ritual of Lohri is not considered complete without this story.
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