Source: The Independent
In the new calendar year, Lohri is the first of India's several festivals celebrated with a lot of fanfare and vigour in various parts of the nation. This harvest festival marks the start of the year's celebrations in North India, particularly in Punjab, and pays homage to the farmers whose toil and work make it possible for us to live happy lives.
For Punjabi farmers, this is harvest season, when they start to reap the benefits of their harvest of the Rabi crops, primarily wheat. After this time, after the winter solstice has passed, we can anticipate longer, warmer days.
When Is Lohri?
The Gregorian calendar states that every year, Lohri falls on January 13. The final day of Paush, the shortest and coldest month of the year, coincides with Lohri, according to the local calendar. Before the winter solstice, which is the longest night of the year, Lohri was celebrated in the past. Today, it is observed when the sun begins to migrate from the south to the north, or at the beginning of Uttarayana.
The first day of the Magh month, which falls on the day after the Lohri festival, is known in Punjab as Maghi. Pongal is observed on this day in Tamil Nadu, and Makar Sankranti is observed in the majority of other states, including Karnataka, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Maharashtra, Bihar, and Jharkhand.
It's difficult to establish if the celebration originated as a religious or agricultural one, but in Hinduism, it's thought to honour the Goddess Lohri and the God Agni. However, farmers from other religions also celebrate Lohri.
The event marks the solstice. The winter solstice is celebrated around the world with holidays like Christmas and Yuletide. The Indian equivalent is called Lohri, albeit it occurs later because of local seasonal variations.
About Lohri
According to legend, Lohri falls on the last truly chilly day of the winter, following which each day will get longer and warmer as spring approaches. It should not be confused with Basant Panchmi, which ushers at the start of Spring, or Holi, which ushers at the end of Spring and the beginning of Summer.
After Lohri, every day will get longer because it is the shortest day and the longest night. Therefore, it seems sensible that all of the Lohri celebrations take place after the Sun has set.
The Lohri Festival's Importance
The main winter crop in the breadbasket of India, the state of Punjab, is wheat, which is sown in October and harvested in March or April. Before cutting and gathering the crops, farmers celebrate the Lohri celebration during January when the fields promise a magnificent harvest.
The coldest months of the year, Paush, come to an end during this time as the earth begins its trek towards the sun from its farthest distance. It signals the start of Magh and the prosperous time of Uttarayan. According to the Bhagawad Gita, Lord Krishna demonstrates his complete grandeur in this time.
Eating sheaves of roasted corn from the new harvest is a traditional Punjabi tradition for the harvest festival Lohri. The Lohri festival marks the beginning of the sugarcane harvest in January. Nuts that are gathered in January and sugarcane products like gurh and gachak are essential to Lohri celebrations. Radish, which can be picked between October and January, is the other significant food item for Lohri. Because the crop thrives in agro-climatic conditions, mustard greens are primarily grown in the winter. So mustard greens are also winter vegetables.
Gajak and Sarson da saag are traditionally eaten with Makki di roti, radish, crushed nuts, and jaggery.
Halloween trick-or-treating and collecting Lohri things.
Around 10 to 15 days before Lohri, groups of juvenile and adolescent boys and girls roam the neighbourhood gathering wood for the Lohri bonfire. In other regions, they also gather things like grains and jaggery, which they then sell and split the revenue with the group.
Boys choose a group member to have ash applied to his face and have a rope tied around his waist as part of a common "trick or treat" activity in various areas of Punjab. The goal is for the chosen individual to serve as a warning to those who choose not to provide Lohri gifts. The boys will recite Lohri songs while requesting Lohri gifts. The householder will be offered a choice: contribute more, or the rope will be released, if not enough is given. The boy with his face smeared will attempt to break into the house and shatter clay pots or the clay stove if not enough is provided.
Written by- Hanshu Varandani
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