( By Dr.Pravin Bhatia - Purecha) www.bhatiacommunity.org
Makar Sankranti मकर संक्रान्ति,Marathi: मकर संक्रान्ति, or Sankranti or Sankranthi marks the transition of the Sun into Makara rashi (Capricorn) on its celestial path. Traditionally, this has been one of many harvest days in India.
The origins of Lohri are many. Many people believe the festival began as a celebration of the eve of winter solstice.
Lohri and Winter Solstice
Indian Origins
Lohri is the Punjabis' cultural celebration on the eve of winter solstice. However, instead of celebrating Lohri on the eve of winter solstice, Punjabis celebrate it on the last day of the month during which winter solstice takes place, Paush. This is due to linking Lohri to the Bikrami calendar.
According to folk lore, in ancient Punjab Lohri was celebrated on the eve of winter solstice day. It is for this reason that people believe the Lohri night is meant to be the longest night of the year and on the day after Lohri, day light is meant to increase.
However, scientifically, the shortest day of the year is around December 21-22 after when the days begin to get longer. Accordingly, winter solstice begins on December 21 or December 22 and Lohri ought to be celebrated a day before winter solstice.
Link to Makar Sankranti
With the formulation of the Bikrami calendar, Lohri has been twinned with the Hindu winter solstice festival of Makar Sankranti which relates to the Sun's entry into the new sign, Makar. Hindus pray to the Hindu Sun God, Ravi on Makar Sankranti which is meant to be celebrated on winter solstice day.
Due to the link of Lohri to the Bikrami calendar, the true origin of Lohri has become blurred. People often say that Lohri must be celebrated on the last day of Paush but also refer to Lohri day being the shortest in the year. This creates confusion when explaining the significance ofLohri as two festivals with different origins have become linked as they both relate to the winter solstice.
Seasonal Festival
Punjabi's, irrespective of their religion, continue to practice their Punjabi Folk Religion. Respect to the seasons and the natural elements of fire, wind, water and the earth is very important. Lohri is a festival dedicated to the end of the Winter season whereas Teej (known as Teeyan in Punjabi) is dedicated to the rain/Monsoon season and Basant is dedicated to the Spring season.
Uttarayan..
One of the most celebrated festivals of Gujarat. In the month of January, people in large numbers gather on terraces to fly kites of various colors to celebrate Uttrayana, the welcome to the sun after the cold winter months. The atmosphere at the festival is electrifying-glass strengthened threads of the Indian fighter kites are matched against each other in the air, and the kite fighter who cuts the other thread is the victor.
Lohri marks the end of a long winter with the return of the sun to the Northern Hemisphere and hence the name Uttarayan. It is celebrated all over Gujarat but the excitement runs highest at Ahmedabad, Surat (known particularly for the strong string which is made by applying glass powder on the row thread to provide it a cutting edge) Nadiad and Vadodara. To be in any one of these places during this festival is to feel the heart and pulse of Gujarat and its people.
The day of Uttarayan has special importance and is regarded as very auspicious. It is also believed that the Gods sleep for six months closing the doors of heaven, which open at the entrance of the sun in northern zone, i.e. in the orbit of Makara , when the Gods awake from a long slumber.
Uttarayan also has a significant relationship with the agricultural economy of the state. By this time, the Kharif crops are ready and are brought home. In an economy which is purely agricultural, domestic animals are not forgotten and grass is freely distributed to the village cattle. Uttarayan, thus, becomes a harvest festival in the true sense of the term.
In Gujarat grain from the new harvest is used to cook 'khichdo'. Typical food like Undiya, sugar cane juice and local sweets are served to celebrate the day. Cows and trees are also offered pujan since man's existence depends on them. People forget and forgive ill will. For this, they ritually offer each other food balls made of sesame seed and jaggery. This is common in Maharashtra too. In east India, at Gangasagar, thousands of pilgrims throng to Kapil Muni's ashram on this day for darshan.
The History of Lohri..
The history of Lohri, a seasonal festival of North India is as old as that of story of Indus Valley civilization itself. The Festival of Lohri marks the beginning of the end of winter and the coming of spring and the new year. The fires lit at night, the hand warming, the song and dance and the coming together of an otherwise atomized community, are only some of the features of this festival. The Lohri of north India coincides with Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti in Bengal, Magha Bihu in Assam, Tai Pongal in Kerala, all celebrated on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti.
There are some interesting socio-cultural and folk-legends connected with Lohri. According to the cultural history of Punjab, Bhatti, a Rajput tribe during the reign of Akbar, inhabited parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat (now in Pakistan). Dulla Bhatti, Raja of Pindi Bhattian, was put to death by the Mughal king for revolting against him. The tribal mirasis (street singers) trace the history of the tribe and interestingly, claim Maharaja Ranjit Singh as one of its scions.
Dulla Bhatti, like Robin Hood, robbed the rich and gave to the poor. The people of the area loved and respected him. He once rescued a girl from kidnappers and adopted her as his daughter. His people would remember their hero every year on Lohri. Groups of children moved from door to door, singing the Dulla Bhatti folk-song: "Dulla Bhatti ho! Dulle ne dhi viyahi ho! Ser shakar pai ho!" (Dulla gave his daughter a kilo of sugar as a marriage gift).
Lohri is essentially a festival dedicated to fire and the sun god. It is the time when the sun transits the zodiac sign Makar (Capricorn), and moves towards the north. In astrological terms, this is referred to as the sun becoming Uttarayan. The new configuration lessens the ferocity of winter, and brings warmth to earth. It is to ward off the bitter chill of the month of January that people light bonfires, dance around it in a mood of bonhomie and celebrate Lohri.
Fire is associated with concepts of life and health. Fire, like water, is a symbol of transformation and regeneration. It is the representative of the sun, and is thus related, on the one hand with rays of light, and on the other with gold. It is capable of stimulating the growth of cornfields and the well being of man and animals. It is the imitative magic purporting to assure the supply of light and heat. It is also an image of energy and spiritual strength. That is why the Lohri fire gets sanctified and is venerated like a deity. On this occasion, people offer peanuts, popcorn and sweets made of til- chirva, gajak and revri – to propitiate fire as a symbol of the sun god.
Harvest Festival of Punjab-
Lohri is the harvest festival of Punjab, famously known as the the breadbasket state of India. Thus, people residing in Punjab attach a great significance to Lohri, the festival in feasts and foods. This harvest festival is celebrated to mark both celebration and sharing.
Lohri festival prompts people to be thankful for God's provision and to celebrate his creation, its focus on farming.
In Punjab, wheat is the main winter crop, which is sown in October and harvested in March or April. In January, the fields come up with the promise of a golden harvest, and farmers celebrate Lohri during this rest period before the cutting and gathering of crops. For Punjabis, this is more than just a festival, it is also an example of a way of life.
Celebrating The Harvest Festival
Lohri is a festival of zeal and verve and marks the culmination of the chilly winter. In true spirit of the Punjabi culture, men and women perform Bhangra and Giddha, popular Punjabi folk dances, around a bonfire. Enthusiastic children go from house to house singing songs and people oblige them generously by giving them money and eatables as offering for the festival.
Logs of wood are piled together for a bonfire, and friends and relatives gather around it. They go around the fire three times, giving offerings of popcorns, peanuts, rayveri and sweets. Then, to the beat of the dhol (traditional Indian drum), people dance around the fire. Prasad of til, peanuts, rayveri, puffed rice, popcorn, gajak and sweets is distributed. This symbolizes a prayer to Agni for abundant crops and prosperity.
Lohri is also an auspicious occasion to celebrate a newly born baby’s or a new bride’s arrival in the family. The day ends with a traditional feast of sarson da saag and makki di roti and a dessert of rau di kheer (a dessert made of sugarcane juice and rice). The purpose of the Lohri harvest ceremony is to thank the God for his care and protection. During this festival the people prepare large quantities of food and drink, and make merry throughout the day and night. Therefore everyone looked forward to this day.
Thus the jubilation at a bountiful harvest becomes the reason for the celebration of Lohri. It is one of the most popular harvest festivals of Punjab, with fairs held at various places. Dancing men and women, sing and dance around the bonfire and people come out of their houses to greet one and all.
Origin of Lohri.-
The origin of the Lohri can be traced back to the tale of Dulla Bhatti. By the end of the first week of January, small groups of boys ring the doorbell of houses and start chanting the Lohri songs related to Dulla Bhatti. In turn, the people give them popcorn, peanuts, crystal sugar, sesame seeds (til) or gur as well as money. Turning them back empty-handed is regarded inauspicious.
Lohri marks the end of winter on the last day of Paush, and beginning of Magha (around January 12 and 13), when the sun changes its course. It is associated with the worship of the sun and fire and is observed by all communities with different names, as Lohri is an exclusively Punjabi festival. The questions like When it began and why is lost in the mists of antiquity.
The origin of Lohri is related to the central character of most Lohri songs is Dulla Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber who lived in Punjab during the reign of Emperor Akbar. Besides robbing the rich, he rescued Hindu girls being forcibly taken to be sold in slave market of the Middle East. He arranged their marriages to Hindu boys with Hindu rituals and provided them with dowries. Understandably, though a bandit, he became a hero of all Punjabis. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti.
Some believe that Lohri has derived its name from Loi, the wife of Sant Kabir, for in rural Punjab Lohri is pronounced as Lohi. Others believe that Lohri comes from the word 'loh', a thick iron sheet tawa used for baking chapattis for community feasts. Another legend says that Holika and Lohri were sisters. While the former perished in the Holi fire, the latter survived. Eating of til (sesame seeds) and rorhi (jaggery) is considered to be essential on this day. Perhaps the words til and rorhi merged to become tilorhi, which eventually got shortened to Lohri.
Ceremonies that go with the festival of Lohri usually comprises of making a small image of the Lohri goddess with gobar (cattle dung), decorating it, kindling a fire beneath it and chanting its praises. The final ceremony is to light a large bonfire at sunset, toss sesame seeds, gur, sugar-candy and rewaries in it, sit round it, sing, dance till the fire dies out. People take dying embers of the fire to their homes. In Punjabi village homes, fire is kept going round the clock by use of cow-dung cakes.
Influence of Lohri.-
Lohri is one such festival which works as a tie-up bond for various communities. The festival is celebrated with great fervor and exuberance especially in North India. Farmers celebrate this harvest festival with traditional dances and songs. It falls on the 13th January when the Earth starts moving towards the sun marking the auspicious period of Uttarayan.
Astrological Influence
The earth leans towards the sun along the Tropic of Capricorn (Makara rekha) from the day following Lohri, also known as Winter Solstice. The earth, farthest from the sun at this point of time, starts its journey towards the sun along its elliptical orbit, thus heralding the onset of spring. It is this transition which is celebrated as Lohri.
Spending Time with Family and Friends
By celebrating Lohri altogether, people come across importance of agriculture, harvest and also relationship values. It gives a chance to spend time with family and friends. The main event of the day is huge bonfire with all the family members dancing around the holy fire. Thus, this festival is taken as a day to worship fire. Bonfires are also symbolic in paying homage to the Sun God as Lohri is the festival connected with the solar influence.
Preparations for Lohri celebrations begin way ahead the festival. People in villages begin collecting twigs, branches and cow dung whereas people in towns gather thin log of wood to make fire. Families consider it to be the best time to shower their blessings over the newly wed couples and new born babies. Even huge functions are organized for such celebrations. The seasonal goodies like revri, dry fruits, patti, peanuts and sugarcane form an integral part of the celebrations. People also throw these goodies into the fire while chanting and dancing around the fire. Womenfolk prepare a pudding of spinach, mustard leaf and lentil cooked in sugarcane juice which is believed to purify blood and cleanse our body from within.
The First Lohri
The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride or a newborn represents a grand occasion and immediate family members are invited for feast and exchange of gifts. Once the party is over, Lohri is celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. Lohri pampers women and children. This is particularly a happy occasion for the couples who for the first time celebrated Lohri after their marriage and also first Lohri of a new born child either a girl or a boy in a family.
On the first Lohri of the the recently wedded bride or a new born, people give offerings of dry fruits, revri (a kind of sweet made of sugar and sesame seeds), roasted peanuts, Sesame Ladoo and other foods to the fire, as well as sharing them with their family and friends gathered around the fire. They perform the ‘Bhangra’ dance, in groups around the fire. The dancing and singing continues well into the night. The Bhangra dance has rhythmic movements of the feet, shoulders and body, with outstretched hands and a lot of clapping by women partners. Food eaten is generally vegetarian and traditionally, no alcoholic drinks are supposed to be consumed.
The first Lohri of a bride
The first Lohri of a bride is considered very important. It is celebrated with increased fervor and on a larger scale. The family of the newly wedded wife and husband gather around the fire wearing their best , often new clothes, decorated with beautiful Punjabi embroidery in gold and silk threads with mirror work. The newly married woman wear new bangles, apply henna or ‘mehndi’ on their hands and put a colorful bindi, a decorative spot, on their foreheads. The husband also wear new clothes and colorful turbans. The new bride of the family on her first Lohri, is presented with beautiful new clothes and jewelery by her parent in-laws. She wears bangles almost up to her elbows.
The first Lohri celebrated by a new bride represents a grand occasion and is comparable to the Sindhara of Rajasthan and Delhi. The mother-in-law presents heavy garments and jewelry to the new bride. Unlike Sindhara, in this case the bride remains in her in-law's house where a grand feast is arranged and all sons and daughters of the house with their spouses and children and all their close friends and neighbors are invited. Early in the evening, when the main people have arrived, the new bride is dressed in her best salwar suit or ghaghra and is made to sit, along with her husband, in a central place where the father-in-law and mother-in-law perform the presentation of clothes and jewelry. The close relatives and friends also join in and present clothes or cash to the new bride.
The first Lohri of a new born
The first Lohri of a new born is a special occasion in which all friends and family join to celebrate. It is performed in the later part of the evening. Invitation cards can be sent for this function, depending on how one wants to celebrate. The event is observed at the parental home of the child in the presence of close relatives, friends and well-wishers. All the guest and relatives bring gifts for the baby and the new mother. The child's maternal grandparents give gifts to the child's paternal relatives also.
On the first Lohri of a new-born baby, the mother attired in heavy clothes and wearing a lot of jewelery with mehndi on her hands and feet sits with the baby in her lap. The family does the presentations. The mother-in-law and father-in-law of course give a large quantity of presents in the form of clothes and cash and others do so according to their relationship with the couple as also their capability and desire. The maternal grandparents also send gifts of clothes, sweets, rayveri, peanuts, popcorns and fruits.
Lohri is then celebrated with traditional dancing and singing around the bonfire. Logs of wood are piled together for a bonfire, and friends and relatives gather around it. They go around the fire three times, giving offerings of popcorns, peanuts, rayveri and sweets. Then, to the beat of the dhol (traditional Indian drum), people dance around the fire. Prasad of til, peanuts, rayveri, puffed rice, popcorn, gajak and sweets is distributed. This symbolizes a prayer to Agni for abundant crops and prosperity. An elaborate traditional Punjabi dinner is served, comprising shaahi paneer, ma ki daal, makki ki roti, sarson ka saag etc.
Celebration of Fertility.-
Lohri is a vibrant festival which marks the end of winter and signifies the harvesting of Rabi crops. People in Northern India eagerly wait for the season as it is the time to make harvesting celebrations with friends and family members. People especially in Punjab and Haryana celebrate this festival with full enthusiasm and energy. Farmers in Punjab evaluate the harvests and consider it as a symbol of renewal of life. Harvesting season also signifies period of plenty, peace and happiness. Celebration of Lohri also highlights importance of fertility in Indian families. Thus, Lohri is celebrated as a big day for all the newly wed and mothers of new born babies.
Importance of Lohri
Punjab is called the breadbasket of India. All major crops are grown here and that's why harvesting season holds special importance for farmers of Punjab and Haryana. They happily bid farewell to the winters and get ready to cut and gather the crop. Rabi crops are the main source of wealth for the farmers and this makes them celebrate the time with full zeal and enthusiasm. Farmers call this period of time as golden harvest season. Thus, farmers show their happiness by perrforming traditional bhangra dance on the beats of dhol. They light bornfires and pray for good harvest in next season as well.
Significance of Fertility
Apart from celebrating the good harvest, there are more reasons which add joy to the festival. Lohri also celebrates fertility in Indian families. The first marriage or birth of the male child in the family calls for celebration at the time of Lohri.
Birth of a Baby
Celebration of fertility relates to the birth of a new born in a family. Thus, Lohri is the time to celebrate the birth by partying altogether. On this day, mother of the new-born is dressed in her best and sits with the baby on her lap. Members and relatives of the family shower their blessings on mother and her child. Gifts and cash is presented to the mother as a token of love. Later, everybody in the family shake their leg around the bonfire. Traditional songs are sung and other rituals are performed.
New Marriage in the Family
Lohri celebrates the marriage of couple in any Indian family. It is considered very important to celebrate first Lohri of a bride. It is said she is welcomed so merrily as she is the one who bears children and increase the family. The newly wed bride dress up in new clothes, wear beautiful ornaments and apply henna on her hands. Her husband also wears new clothes. They sit together to receive blessings of elders of the family. The day is completed with dance and singing of traditional folk songs and other songs wishing the newly wed peaceful life.
Regional Names
Lohri is celebrated throughout the country in different forms, having various regional names as a harvest festival. It is called Pongal in the South, Bhugali Bihu in Assam, Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh and Sankranti in the central part of the country. Modes of celebrating Lohri are also different, but the message conveyed by the festival, that of setting aside differences and rejoicing by celebrating the end of the harvest season and the chilly winter, is the same. The various regional names of Lohri are:
Uttarayan: Uttarayan, traditionally believed to be the starting point of the sun's northward journey, is celebrated according to the solar calendar on 14th January. When the sun enters the orbit of a rashi from another, it is called sankranti . Uttarayan is celebrated all over Gujarat but the excitement is high at Ahmedabad, Rajkot ,Jamnagar,Porbunder,Bhavnagar,Surat, Nadiad and Vadodara,and Mumbai.Maharastra.
International Kite Festival: From dawn to dusk, people of all ages fly kites rejoicing in the spirit of the International Kite festival of Gujarat. Falling on 14th January, the sky is enlivened by kites of different colors and hues. Kites soar in the sky, their lines moving as if alive. Crowded rooftops, fun-loving rivalry to outdo each other, and delicious Gujarati feast are the hall-marks of the day.
Pongal: In south, Pongal is a festival when god is praised with a simple faith and sincerity. Old vices are all washed out and all that is good is welcomed in this New year. This festival is of all living things, who look up to the heaven in joy and thankfulness to God for everything that He gives to man specially peace and happiness and the feeling of brotherhood.
Makar Sankranti: Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of Uttarayan, the Sun's northward journey. Makar is called Capricorn in the western astrological calendar. Makar Sankranti falls on 14th of January every year.
Thai Pongal: The Thai Pongal Festival is an occasion to celebrate fulfillment of their vows to Lord Murugan. It is one the biggest festival days after Mahasivarathri for the followers of Lord Shiva.
Bihu / Bohaggiyo Bhishu: Bihu is the most important non-religious festival of the Assamese people. People of this state observe it every year irrespective of their class and caste. It has been observed from time immemorial and has been adjusting itself at different ages taking into consideration the changed situation of a particular age.
Ganga Sagar: Situated on an island in the Sunderbans, Ganga Sagar is a lovely destination where culture and religion mingle in peace. With the mild winter of gangetic West Bengal, the season to continues all year round. Here Ganga sagar mela is held that is one of the largest fair in India.
Hadaga Festival: The Hadaga festival in Maharashtra is to pray for a good monsoon and a good harvest. As Indra is the god of rain, people sing songs to Indra and pray for rain. Pictures of the elephant which is Indra's vehicle are drawn everywhere to invite the God.
Lohri and Winter Solstice.
Indian Origins
Lohri is the Punjabis' cultural celebration on the eve of winter solstice. However, instead of celebrating Lohri on the eve of winter solstice, Punjabis celebrate it on the last day of the month during which winter solstice takes place, Paush. This is due to linking Lohri to the Bikrami calendar.
According to folk lore, in ancient Punjab Lohri was celebrated on the eve of winter solstice day. It is for this reason that people believe the Lohri night is meant to be the longest night of the year and on the day after Lohri, day light is meant to increase.
However, scientifically, the shortest day of the year is around December 21-22 after when the days begin to get longer. Accordingly, winter solstice begins on December 21 or December 22 and Lohri ought to be celebrated a day before winter solstice.
