A roaring bonfire, fun and fervor, song and dance
Lohri is a festival of harvest during the peak of winter. People believe that after the day of Lohri, the days start becoming longer and the nights shorter.
In India, several festivals are rooted in mythology and legendary tales. Lohri is no different. According to mythology, Lohri was Holika’s sister who, when put to the fire with Prahlad and Holika, survived while Holika got burnt in the fire. The word ‘Lohri’ is believed to originate from the regional word ‘loh’ which means the warmth and light of the fire. Folklore has it that Sunder Mundriye—is actually the tale of a man called Dulla Bhatti, who is said to have lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Being quite the ‘Robin Hood’ back in the day, Dulla Bhatti used to supposedly steal from the rich, and rescue poor Punjabi girls being taken forcibly to be sold in slave markets. He then went on to arrange their marriages to boys of the village, and provided them with dowries (from the stolen money). Amongst these girls were Sundri and Mundri, who have now come to be associated with Punjab’s folklore, Sunder Mundriye. Most of the Lohri songs are dedicated to Dulla Bhatti.
This year Lohri fell on January 14th unlike the regular 13th January in the past years. For years, members of the Gulmohar Centre and residents of Gulmohar Park have gathered to celebrate Lohri with great fervour, the evening filled with folk songs and dance, with popcorn, puffed rice, popcorns, rewri and other things being offered to the bonfire to express gratitude to God.
This year was no different. The young and old sang and danced joining Tripat Dhillon and her troupe as they presented a mellifluous rendition of folk songs, with a bhangra foursome belting out compelling beats of the dhol that got feet moving. True to its reputation, the Gulmohar Centre laid out a delectable spread of North Indian dishes that added to the great evening. The celebration lasted several hours, with people unwilling to call it a day. When they finally did, one could sense a feeling of happiness all around, and a joy in an evening well spent with family and friends.
