Day 13:- Happy Lohri

Lohri is celebrated as the Harvest festival in punjab, wheat is ripening and is turning golden.. soon it will be cut the grain taken and the farmer will take it to be sold for the rest of the nation to fill their bellies ..

Dulla Bhatti, is the central character of most Lohri songs , He was regarded as a hero in Punjab as he besides robbing the rich, would rescue girls being forcibly taken to be sold in slave market during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. He would then arrange their marriages to boys of their religion with rituals and provide them with dowries. So every other Lohri song has words to express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti.

Lohri reminds me on 13th January, we would go around the neighbourhood, house to house… singing the Lohri song demanding some gift, People would give money or sweets… Money usually..Takes me back to the good old days as I call them when my grand-dad and my dad were alive. Daddy as I called my Grandfather, would give me the traditional 500Rs, which use to be a lot of money in those days. Wants were and needs were less, Enough to go have a chicken soup at Goldie’s roost and a meal at Shangrila the Chinese place.

I remember our neighbours, The house on the left an old lady lives, She would have a bowl full of sweets ready, I would go and ring her bell, she would say “KHULA HAI” (its open).. Then a crisp 100Rs note and a bowl of sweets and TONS AND TONS OF WISHES, blessings, I miss them so much, don’t get all those wishes anymore from the heart.

The house right opposite us, were one of those misers too, hardly saw lights on in that house, I think the owners were in states, only a caretaker was there.. So nothing from there…

About 10 am it was time to go to college, as everyone would be there all my friends. meet up then the planning starts how to go about celebrating it, which usually started in the college canteen. In evening all of us would meet and visit every friends house , especially the girls 🙂 and the look on their faces seeing boys come to their house . In those days it was such a big deal if a boy talked with a girl or went to a girls house.

And since it is punjab, the visits always involved a few drinks here and there…

Then reach home, Dad always had a big BIG pile of wood… Lit the fire, have the dholi beat the dhol… dance around the fire eat the sweets The gachaks, Rewadi’s , nuts , next door neighbours would come a few other friends make a night out of it .. Dancing- singing … then once exhausted just sit around the fire till late in night just chatting…

HAPPY LOHRI EVERYONE…. Have a blast .. EAT – DRINK and BE MERRY… Enjoy

HAPPY LOHRI . and dont forget my LOHRI… ..

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