Celebrating Lohri

Lohri is one of the favorite festivals celebrated by people who belong to the Punjabi caste. This festival is celebrated on the night of January 13 of each year. The festival originated in the state of Punjab and is now celebrated across the nation and outside of wherever Punjabis are.

Tradition

As they celebrate Lohri, all the family members light a fire and sit around it. The festival begins when all the members of the family form a circle around the fire and begin to revolve around it. This turning of the limbs around the fire is known as ‘Agni Ke Phere’. As they move, they murmur a specific Mantra known as ‘Gayatri Mantra’. With each round they sacrifice a mix of 5 edible items. As each round is completed, they put the mixture on the fire by calling out “Swaha” while sacrificing themselves. This sacrifice is known as ‘Aahuti’. This process is repeated 7 times.

Celebration of children and family

After performing this ritual, the children dance around the fire and sing and play with each other. Since the weather is quite cold this season, everyone enjoys it well. Family members sit together around the fire and sing, talk and have fun while enjoying the taste of the mixture that remains after slaughtering it on the fire. This remaining matter is known as ‘Prasad’ and is treated with respect regarding it as the fruit of God (Agni Deva).

Celebration of newly married couples and their relatives

In Punjabi families, Lohri is an important festival and people enjoy celebrating it. In Indian culture, marriage is treated as a religious act and the newly married wife is assumed to be a blessing from God. With this in mind, all family members who are related to newly married couples celebrate Lohri by throwing big parties. Guests are invited and a suitable dinner is organized. After celebrating Lohri, that is, after ‘Agni Ke Phere’ and ‘Aahuti’, all the guests give the newlyweds their blessings and good wishes along with the gifts they present to the couples. Children sing and dance around the fire and everyone enjoys Lohri’s evening.

The Lohri tradition is quite old, but even today it is celebrated with the same respect and enthusiasm by all Punjabi families around the world. The season in which this festival arrives is in winter and the atmosphere is cold. So everyone likes to sit near the fire. This makes them feel comfortable and relaxed.