Lohri 2021: Here are some interesting facts, significance about harvest festival

New Delhi: Lohri, the harvest festival celebrated on January 13 every year, marks the end of winter and the time to harvest rabi crops. As the festival is around the corner, enthusiastic people across the country are gearing up to lit the bonfire, whirl around it singing Punjabi folk songs, and popping sesame seeds, popcorn, jaggery, and rewaris. But, before you wish a happy Lohri to your close ones, here are the significance and interesting facts about the joyous festival.
The occasion holds great significance among farmers, as they thank the almighty for a bountiful harvest of crops and forth on the occasion. “Lohri is also known as Maghi, as it is celebrated in the month of ‘Maagh’ and historically, during the 19th century, revenue for winter crops was collected on this day or Sankrant,” told Gurnek Singh, a member of Delhi Sikh Gurudwara Management Committee.
Amritsar: Students, wearing traditional Punjabi dresses, offer groundnuts and sweets as part of a ritual to celebrate the Lohri festival, in Amritsar, Tuesday, Jan. 12, 2021. (PTI Photo) Traditionally, Lohri is also called as ‘Lohi’ in Punjabi. In houses that have recently had a marriage or childbirth, the celebrations of the festival are observed at a grand scale, otherwise, people usually have private Lohri celebrations, in their houses.
The major part of the festival is its folk songs. While whirling around the bonfire ladies performer ‘gidda’ and sing ‘Sundar Mundariye’ song which has words to express gratitude to ‘Dulla Bhatti.’ The tale behind the main song is known by a very few.
“The theme of many folk songs of this festival is Dulla Bhatti, a man who lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar”, 75-year-old Sheila Taneja from Amritsar told ANI.