Celebrating Lohri in the Great Outdoors

Nearly every culture in the world celebrates festivals related to harvest; praying to fertility goddesses, making offerings of food and valuable items. In India, Lohri is one of the biggest harvest festivals celebrated in several states. It’s a vibrant event with huge dashes of delicious foods, loads of family fun, and a large community bonfire. This festival of India is celebrated with much flourish in Punjab as well as in other states like Haryana and Himachal Pradesh. In Tamil Nadu, the festival is known as Pongal and in Assam it’s called Bihu – famous for its namesake dance.

The When, Why and How

Lohri is celebrated on the eve of the winter solstice on January 13th, signalling the end of the long winter months and the beginning of spring. This is also the time when wheat, the main rabi (winter) crop is ready to be harvested and the festival of Lohri is celebrated to thank the gods for a good yield.  On the morning of Lohri, children go around singing songs about Dulla Bhatti and are rewarded with sweets, money and especially til (sesame) seeds. All these goodies, called Lohri, are offered to the holy fire. Other food items that are sure to find a place round the Lohri bonfire are peanuts, phulia (popcorn), gajjak (sweet made of sesame and sugar) and rewri (sweet mad of sesame and jaggery).

All the Action

The bonfire is the central point of all action and Lohri is thrown into the fire while attendees pray for a good year filled with blessings. If there’s been a marriage or a birth in the family, Lohri becomes an even more important event with members seeking blessings for the new life or the new partnership. The excitement around the Lohri bonfire reaches fever pitch with men folk dancing the bhangra (traditional Punjabi folk dance) to the beats of a dhol (drum)and women performing the gidda – a comely dance – to local folk songs.

Do it Your Way

This year don’t just light up a small fire and invite friends home for Lohri. Head out to the bountiful lands of Punjab and feast your eyes on lush fields of golden wheat, gently swaying in the winter breeze and witness nature’s splendour that Lohri celebrates. Don’t stop at just that; make time for some more of this fertile state’s unusual destinations.

Brave the cold to visit Harike Wetland in Tarn Taran district for a chance to see the elusive Indus dolphins once thought to be extinct in India. An easy car ride from Chandigarh will take you to Harike Wetlands – a protected area and if you’re lucky you might see some rare migratory birds as well.

Another trip worth your while would be to Rupnagar or Ropar – the site of the first Harrappan archaeological excavation in independent India. Visit the museum in Ropar to see the awesome display of pottery, Harappan seals cast in copper and bronze and solid gold coins of the great king Chandragupta.

Tell us how you celebrated Lohri once you’re back. We’re waiting!