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| LOHRI, festival of bon fire | | |
MUNISH GUPTA
JAMMU, JAN: 11
Lohri festival which falls on January 12th or 13th of every year is one of the important festivals of northern part of India, which marks the end of winter season, when sum changes into course and bring warmth to earth.
To celebrate the festival youngsters such morning in Groups are seem moving from on locality to another with ‘CHHAJJAS’ (sheet of paper decorated with flowers and color) in their hands collecting money so to purchase wood etc to light bon fire in the evening. Most of chhajjas parties are accompanied by Dhol (drum) and sing folk songs etc. Children go from door to door singing songs in praise of Dulha Bhatti, a Punjabi version of Robin Hood who robbed the rich and helped the poor. These "visitors" are given either money or gachak, bhuga, til, moongphali, gur and rewri.
A bonfire is lit and everyone gathers around it. Munchies, collected from each house, go around the party and are also thrown into the fire.
Song of Lohri
Sunder mundriya …ho
Tera kaun vichara..ho
Dulla Bhatti walla…ho
Dulle ne ti viahiyi…ho
Saer Shakar payi…ho
Kudi de boje payee…ho
Shallu kaun samete…ho
Chacha galee dese…ho
Chache choori kutee…ho
Zamindaran lutee…ho
Zamindara sidaye…ho
Gin-gin pole layee…ho
Ik pola reh gaya…ho
Sipahi farh ke lei gaya…ho
Aakho mundao…taana…
Mukai da dana…
Aana lei ke jana…
In the evening bone fires are lit in the open area, or inside the compound of the residence were people or close relations gather around the flames and throw, rewari, peanuts, til, puffed rice etc and sing popular folk songs.
Beside this festival assumes greater significance, if these have been a birth of a male child in the family or marriage of a male member. Lohri which is associated with the worship of the sun and fire is observed by all the communities with different names and forms in various part of the country.
In south India being a harvest season it is called ‘Pongal’ ‘Bhugal Bihu’ in Assam, Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh and also as Makar-Sankranti. The ways of celebrating are different but the massage conveyed by the festival in to set differences aside and rejoice.
During good olden days even after independence of the country the day was celebrated with great enthusiasm, but this important winter festival has some what changed. While talking to Cross Section of people the writer found that the festival has changed as loot Rama Devi 85 year old said, during on child hood the preparation were made in advance, beside children used to collect, Gachak, Til, Moongphali, Rewri, Gar etc and on the festival day all used to poured into bona fire. Till late in the evening people used to dance around the fire. She exclaimed now the charm has fadden away. Daring our days it’s was festival of love and brotherhood etc. Sunita Dogra, a school teacher said dholak has been replaced by DJ and big musical instruments etc. Earlier, friends and relations use to come each other house to congratulated, but this system is slowing down.
“I miss those days when we used to stay on the terrace all day. Even meals were delivered to us there. We would go door-to-door asking for Lohri, dressed in new clothes. Now, people are a bit indifferent. I wonder what has happened to tradition,” she says.
It has been a festival of bonding, with family and friends coming home to sit by the fire and enjoy the night. Now, with the emergence of nuclear families, the festival seems to be losing its innate warmth. “People used to dance to the beat of the ‘dhol’ around a bonfire. Now, the ‘dhol’ has been replaced by DJs,”" says Pritam Kaur, a housewife
All said and done, change is inevitable, but what remain is the enthusiasm, the good cheer and the camaraderie that is a characteristic feature of the festival.
One hardly finds youngsters in the cities going round asking for lohri, though in village its is celebrated with full enthusiasm.
Even though responsibilities may not allow some to come back home for Lohri, their thoughts still wander home and the sound of ‘Sunder munderiye’ reverberates in their hearts. Happy Lohri!
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