In Indian prevails the diversity, be it the
diverse religion, culture, festivals, geographical lands or anything. Being the
land of diversity, India is perhaps the only nation that witnesses the diverse occasion, and many times,
the same festival gets celebrated in different cultures with the different
names, and this is why being so diverse in nature, we are united as a nation.
Lohrifestival
is one of the prominent festivals celebrated in the Sikh community, and it is known as the festival of
harvest. The harvest festival is celebrated in almost every culture that blooms
in India with other names like Pongal, Bihu, or Sankranti. The festival of
Lohri is celebrated in amidst the harvesting of rabi crops. Though the Sikh
community is spread across the world, the real enthusiasm of celebrating Lohri
can be best seen in the state of Punjab,
Himachal Pradesh and other north states of the country.
Why
is Lohri celebrated?
Celebrated on the 13th January
every year, this harvest festival is celebrated to mark the end of the highest
winter days and is the shortest day of the entire year. As mentioned above, the
harvest festival is celebrated with different names in almost every culture
prevailing in India, Lohrifestival is
just not the harvest festival but it has a lot of cultural and economic
significance for Punjab.
Punjab is the state that is said to be
responsible for feeding the entire nation because the state is traditionally
known as an agriculture region. Punjab has the most fertile and the five rivers
that flow in its territory is the reason that the state produces the maximum
crops. The independence and the impact of Green Revolution contributed to a great
extent to make Punjab the richest state in the entire country. The maximum
output from the farming lands and blessed with the prosperity from the
agriculture, the harvest festivalLohrihas more significance for the Punjab
people than it has to any other culture.
The importance of festival can also be
realized by its mention in the Sikh’s holy book “Guru Granth Sahib.” The book
considers Lohri as the most positive
time of the entire year.
No wonder that the Lohri celebration is the
best in Punjab. Lohri wishes are not
only manifested in words, but in gestures too.
Celebration
of Lohri
Lohriis
celebrated with great enthusiasm and
energy in Punjab precisely. The Sikh people perform many rituals that are
running from the ancient time. The main essences of the rituals that get
performed to celebrate Lohri are mentioned below.
·
The
bonfire
This is the most important ritual of Lohri
and has a lot of importance. Not just Lohri, but different cultures celebrating
the harvest festival have the ritual of lighting bonfire. In Sikh community,
people light abonfire in the evening on
the day of the Lohri celebration.
People circle around the bonfire and pray to the God of Fire to bless them with
the good harvest the next year. While circling around the bonfire, people throw
popcorn, rice, and other stuff into the
fire. After the ritual of circling around the bonfire gets over, people sing folksongs.
The bonfire has the immense importance for the newlyweds and the newborn babies.
·
Singing
and Dancing
Singing and dancing are very common and important to show the joy of the Lohri celebration. One can witness the
traditional dance of Punjabi people, Bhangra. People continue dancing, mainly
the men, till late night. Singing folksongs
and playing traditional drums are a part
of thecelebration.
·
Delicacies
The entire celebration is incomplete without
eating the delicacies that are prepared. The essence and aroma of the
traditional dishes run in the air. The happy
Lohri day is made happier with the tasty food cooked at every home.
Lohri is not merely a festival of eating and
dancing for the Sikh community, but it has a strong relation to the culture, economy, and their tradition. So,
wish you all a very happy Lohri. May
your Lohri 2017 will be prosperous!
Avail the best happy Lohri wishes to
wish happy Lohri in Punjab on Lohri festival 2107 online.
