Lohri is a festival cherished and celebrated by people around the world. It is said that Lohri's night is the longest night of the year and after that, days start getting longer as the sun starts to move further north.
Lohri is celebrated all across the country and overseas, especially in Punjab and Haryana, the festival is observed with great zeal and enthusiasm. Celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti, as soon as the sun sets on 13th January, the celebrations begins to galore.
People light 'Lohri' in front of their houses and dance on the beats of groovy songs. Lohri is incomplete without the Tadka of Bhangra and Gidda. People decorate their houses, prepare and distribute sweets in their community which adds to the amazing ambience.
Lohri marks the end of 'Paush' month and the beginning of 'Magh'. Traditionally, people move around the Lohri(bonfire) while tossing Til, Peanuts, Revari etc in it. They do so as a symbol of burning away all the troubles of the past and starting the new year on a fresh note.
For the newly-wed couples, Lohri has immense significance. It is believed that doing Parikrama around the fire on Lohri can strengthen their bond even further. Couples dress traditionally on this festival.
Lohri is a symbol of prosperity. To celebrate the harvest season and attain a better surplus, Farmers all across the country celebrate Lohri.
There are several folk tales attached with the festival. One such story is of 'Dulla Bhatti'.
It is said that during the reign of emperor Akbar, many women were abducted from Punjab and given to wealthy businessman and the filthy rich. Dulla Bhatti, also known as the 'Robin Hood of Punjab' rescued these helpless women and waged war against the Mughals.
Although, all historical evidences which can confirm the claims have been wiped out from the history pages but the heroic tale of 'Dulla Bhatti' is extremely popular and relevant in the Punjabi Folklore.
On Lohri, the legendary 'Dulla Bhatti' is remembered and people pay tribute to him by singing folk songs describing the heroic tale of the man.
