If we think about Lohri in current times, one would think about the bonfire, the laughs, the food, the bhagra on dhol and a night of enjoyment. But that's not all Lohri is. Lohri has a deeper meaning just like every other festival. Have you ever wondered why do people revolve around bonfire after the sunset? Lohri is a Punjabi festival that is mostly celebrated in north India. Lohri is all about paying gratitude to god, enjoying a hearty feast and dancing to the beats of dhol. On this day as a harvest ritual, Til(sesame seeds), popcorn, jaggery, peanuts and gajak are fed to the bonfire. Lohri is also linked to the winter solstice and marks the end of winters and beginning of spring.
Are you going to be rich soon? Ask our experts only @10rs
Concept of Lohri
The word Lohri comes from 'Tilhori' i.e 'Til' (sesame seeds) and 'rorhi' (jaggery/gud). Eventually the festival started to be known as 'Lohri'. The two food ingredients, Til and jaggery are believed to cleanse the body and help in bringing the much required postive energy for the new year. This is why the ingredients like jaggery, peanuts, gajak, til and popcorn are fed to the bonfire to say thank you to the nature and god.
The devotees feed the God of Fire aka the bonfire and seek his blessings to make their lives more prosperous and take away all the negativity. The devotees pray for the happiness of their families after they feed Lord Agni.
Walking around the bonfire
The walking around the bonfire also has a special reason behind it. People believe that if they walk around the Lohri bonfire then that would bless them and bring prosperity in their lives. Especially for new brides, this festival holds special significance as it is believed that if they pray to the God of Fire on this day then that would lead to the fulfillment of their wishes and bring positivity in their lives.
Festival of harvest
Lohri holds a very positive meaning for Punjabi farmers and marks the beginning of New year for them. The farmers pray to Lord Agni to bless their lands with prosperity and abundance before they harvest their crops. They chant a Punjabi mantra 'Aadar aye dilather jaye' which means 'may honour come and poverty vanishes' as they revolve around the bonfire.
Magic of Winter food
One very important part of Lohri is the food. One cannot think about Lohri without thinking about the delicious winter delicacies that are cooked on this special day. The traditional Punjabi dishes like Sarso da saag with Makke ki roti, Pinni, makhane ki kheer, til ke laddoo, gondh ladoo and many more mouth watering dishes are cooked for the occassion.