Lohri, also known as Lohadi or Lal Loi, is mainly a Sikh festival that the Hindus also celebrate. Lohri is celebrated one day before the celebration of Makara Sankranti.
According to the Hindu calendar, it is celebrated by Punjabi people with utmost zest on the 14th of January every year in the month of Pausha or Magh. Here, we have shared with you the significance of the Lohri Festival and Lohadi Festival date 2024.
The Lohri festival is celebrated in the North Indian States of Punjab, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu.
It is celebrated as the harvest festival when people light a bonfire, sing, and dance in joy. Lohadi marks the cultural celebration of the winter solstice. It also marks the sun’s journey to the northern hemisphere.
People deck up in colorful traditional attires and sing and dance around the bonfire to welcome the longer days after the winter solstice.
Table of Contents
Lohri Meaning
According to some popular stories, the word Lohri is derived from the term “Loh,” which means a big iron skillet or tava used for baking chapattis for community feasts.
However, according to another popular tale, Lohadi originated from “Loi,” who was the wife of reformer and saint Kabir Das.
As for eating til (sesame seeds) and rorhi is considered an essential part of Lohri celebrations, so the words “til” and “rorhi” got merged to become tilorhi, which eventually got shortened and came to be known as Lohadi.
In fact, the origin of the Lohadi festival is linked with the tale of Dulla Bhatti. He was a famous legendary hero of Punjab who led a rebellion against Mughal Emperor Akbar.
He performed many acts of bravery and became a hero for the people of Punjab. Almost every Lohiri song has words that express gratitude towards him.
Why do we Celebrate Lohri?
Lohri celebrates the passing of the winter solstice. It is both a winter crop season celebration and a remembrance of the Sun deity, Lord Surya. Lohri’s songs praise the Sun God for heat. It is also a celebration of the fire element in nature (Agni) or the Goddess of Lohri.
Lohri is also closely linked with the tale of Dulla Bhatti, who lived during Mughal Emperor Akbar’s reign.
He saved many Hindu girls from being forcibly taken to be sold in the slave market of the Middle East.
Among those he saved were two girls, Sundri & Mundri, who became a popular theme for Punjabi folklore.
According to a famous Hindu legend, Holika and Lohadi were sisters. While Holika perished in the Holi fire, Lohri survived with Prahlad.
Lohadi Celebrations
Lohri celebrations are marked with a bonfire. It’s a tradition to light a bonfire during this winter festival. In Punjab, people eat sheaves of roasted corn from the new harvest.
In fact, the January sugarcane harvest is also celebrated in the Lohri festival. Sugarcane products like gurh and gachak are the main food items in Lohadi celebrations.
It is traditional to consume Gajak, Sarson da saag with Makki di roti, groundnuts, radish, and Jaggery during the Lohri festival.
People also consume “til rice,” a mixture of Jaggery, sesame seeds, and rice. In some places, this special dish is also called ‘Tricholi.’
During Lohadi day, children sing folk songs from door to door. They are given sweets, savories, and money. Nobody turns them back empty-handed, which is considered inauspicious.
The collections gathered by the children are called Lohri. It consists of til, Gajak, Gur, crystal sugar, peanuts, and popcorn. This Lohadi is then distributed at night during this festival. Items such as til, peanuts, and popcorn are also thrown into the bonfire.
The bonfire ceremony is organized on the night of the Lohadi festival. A small image of the Lohri Goddess is made with cattle dung and decorated. Praises are chanted, and a bonfire is lighted beneath it.
The bonfire is lit up in the evening after sunset in the main village square. People toss gur, sesame seeds, sugar candy, and rewaries on the bonfire. They sit around it, sing, and dance till the fire dies out.
Some people go around the fire to show respect for the natural element of fire. Milk and water are also poured around the bonfire to thank the Sun God. People sing, dance, and play around the fire.
Other Lohadi rituals are also performed with special Lohri songs. In fact, singing and dancing form the central part of the Lohri celebrations. People wear traditional attire and come to dance the Bhangra and Gidda to the beat of the dhol.
Everybody rejoices by singing Punjabi songs. People eat Sarson da saag with Makki di roti as the main course at the Lohadi dinner.
In fact, Lohadi holds special importance for farmers. However, people living in urban areas also celebrate Lohri. The festival provides the opportunity to interact with family and friends.
Lohri Song
Here, we share with you a very popular Lohri song that has words expressing gratitude towards Dulla Bhatti:
Sunder mundriye ho!
Tera kaun vicharaa ho!
Dullah Bhatti walla ho!
Dullhe di dhee vyayae ho!
Ser shakkar payee ho!
Kudi da laal pathaka ho!
Kudi da saalu paata ho!
Salu kaun samete!
Chacha gali dese!
Chache choori kutti! zamidara lutti!
Zamindaar sudhaye!
Bum Bum Bhole aaye!
Ek bhola reh gaya!
Sipahee far ke lai gaya!
Sipahee ne mari itt!
Bhaanvey ro te bhaanvey pitt!
Sanoo de de Lohri
Te teri jeeve Jodi!
Lohri Date 2024
Lohri festival will be celebrated on: 14th January 2024, Sunday
So, that’s all in this post on the Lohri festival.
We hope that you would have found the post useful.
Thanks for visiting.
