Lohri in Mountains. in My Story

Today (or yesterday) we celebrate Lohri. Although it’s an important festival of whole North India especially in Punjab. I believe you know about this festival to read more about historical facts and rituals please click here.

I’m here to share how it’s celebrated in mountains, similar to punjabi’s but little bit different. In our village most of the people are done by cultivating their wheat crop and by this time we observe rainfall which is essential for good crops and for better health as well.

As we see, most of the cultivation work is over and villagers are sort of free. So now it’s time to pray and celebrate.

I remember what we used to do, in my childhood along with the kids of neighborhood we used to gather by evening and make a group of four to five kids and go to every home of our village, singing Lohri a folk hymn and in the end of this beautiful song we used to wish for their good crops and as a result of this villagers used to give us some grains (now this is replaced by money)

Let me tell you it’s not safe to go alone, atleast for kids, in village, so we kids used to keep on big strong stick, torch with us. There is always a fear of meeting wild animals (leopard).

We used to take all these grains to nearby shop and sell at better price to make some money.

After all we all did this for money, paisa hi paisa hoga…

Now, I’m 22 I see those kids coming to our home singing Lohri, I see myself a little kid in them What a beautiful childhood I had in these mountains. Now in this modern lifestyle parents don’t allow their kids to go for Lohri, don’t know why. These festivals are in endangered situations. We have to revive them as well.

And after Lohri next day comes Makar Sakranti, we call it Māghā Rā Sājā i.e., Sakranti of Māgha month. Now winter is about to go, cold wave is gone so let’s enjoy this winter with some khichari and pure cow ghee.

Winter begins after Ashwin Navratri and in Himachal Pradesh it is believed that a shepherd puts his Cholā (long woolen jacket) on the Diwali night and takes it off on Makar Sakranti as a mark of extreme winter’s farewell and winter season is completely gone by Chaitra Navratri.