Celebrated : Punjab
Significance : Harvest Festival
Time : January


About Lohri
Lohri is a popular harvest festival celebrated in the northern part of India. The month of January is the time when the fields of Punjab and Haryana are filled with swaying golden wheat crops. The festival of Lohri is celebrated to mark the good crop as well as the occasion just before the cutting of the crops. According to Hindu traditions, Lohri is celebrated on the 13th day of January every year. It is a time when the winter season ends and the earth starts its journey back towards the sun, providing much needed comfort to the people from the extreme chills.

History of Lohri
Lohri is one of the major Hindu festivals which has been celebrated in India for centuries. The origin of this festival can be traced back to the local lore of Dulla Bhatti, whose name can be heard in every lohri song. A Muslim dacoit, Dulla Bhatti lived in the state of Punjab during the Mughal rule over India. He rescued Hindu girls being taken forcibly to be sold in the markets of middle east, and married them in respectable Hindu families. Thus, despite being a robber, Dulla Bhatti became a local hero. From then onwards, the festival of lohri is a time when people remember the bandit and his deeds of bravery.

A few days prior to the festival, young boys gather outside the village houses and recite lohri songs. The owner of the house gives them popcorn, sugar, jaggery and peanuts as also sometimes money. The tradition is considered especially auspicious for households which have recently witnessed pleasant happenings.
Lohri Celebrations
Although lohri is essentially a festival of the Punjab region, it is celebrated in other states of the country which have a predominantly Punjabi population. In states like Delhi, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh, preparations start days in advance while the actual day is marked with endless rejoicing, festivities, fun and celebration. Lohri is especially significant in households which have recently had pleasant happenings such as a marriage or child birth. The rituals are performed along with the recitation of lohri songs. A huge bonfire is lit and people perform prayers to the God of fire.

Traditional singing and dancing form an important part of the lohri celebrations. People wear traditional clothes and eat local specialties such as makki ki roti and sarson ka saag. Lohri is a special occasion which not only marks the harvesting season but is also a time when people get to meet their loved ones and spare a few moments of joy from their hectic schedules.

Lohri in other Parts of India
Though Lohri is celebrated in the northern part of India, the festival is marked by celebrations in other parts of the country under different names. The harvest festival of Pongal is one such occasion celebrated in the southern part of the country. Some of the other names by which this festival is celebrated are Bihu in Assam, Sankrant in central India and Bihu in Assam. Although the names and ways of celebration may be different, however, the festival conveys the same meaning of peace and prosperity in every part of the country.