Lohṛī 2008

Lohṛī is celebrated on the eve of Makara Saṅkrānti (Māghī), above all in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Delhi, and by Punjabi families everywhere. It marks the end of the coldest part of winter and the ripening of the rabi crops, especially sugarcane and wheat.

At sunset families and neighbours gather around a large bonfire. They walk around it and offer til (sesame), guṛ (jaggery), revṛī, gajak, peanuts and popcorn into the flames, with prayers for a good harvest and a prosperous year. The offerings are then shared as prasāda.

Children go from house to house singing Lohṛī songs, among them the ballad of Dullā Bhaṭṭī, the folk hero remembered for protecting young women, and receive sweets and coins. The evening is filled with bhāṅgṛā and giddhā.

A family's first Lohṛī after a wedding or the birth of a child is celebrated with special joy, with relatives and friends invited to the bonfire. The next morning is Māghī, the day the Sun enters Makara and Uttarāyaṇa begins.