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 ,Β 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 ofΒ MughalΒ EmperorΒ Akbar.Β 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 π 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 LOHRIΒ . and dont forget my LOHRI… ..
Happy Lohri to you!
LikeLike
happy lohri to you tooooo
LikeLike
Happy Lohiri to you Bikram. Beautifully written!
LikeLike
thank you GB…
LikeLike
Happy lohri bikram. π
LikeLike
Thank you thank you π
LikeLiked by 1 person
I was about to drop by to wish you and then saw this post. A very happy Lohri Bikram! π π
LikeLike
Thank you so much Debs… hope you had a good one
LikeLike
Happy Lohri π Good to read about all the fun you had when you were younger.
Destination Infinity
LikeLike
Thank you thank you π
LikeLike
You paint a very vibrant and happening picture of the lohri in those days..
Beautifully put Bikram… π
LikeLike
Welcome here , thank you for visiting do keep coming ..
oh yes i had a gala time when i was young.. those were good old days..
LikeLike
such beautiful childhood memories you have shared π Happy Lohri
LikeLike
Hey , how you doing. good t osee you here after a long time ..
Thank you thank you π
LikeLike
Happy Lohri, Mr. B π
Times have changed, celebrations are not what they used to be
LikeLike
heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy how you doing, long time no see
times have surly changed .. people are too busy to enjoy now…
LikeLike
Happy Lohri.I have seen the celebrations,the dance around the bonfire with neighbours joining in and the mirth associated with it. We have Pongal its equivalent in Tamil nad
LikeLike
Thank you so much partha sir.. oh yessssssss happy pongal
LikeLike
Happy Lohiri Bikram. I find festivals the best times to relive all the childhood memories of fun, it was always a special time when most of us enjoyed almost all the festival and people entertained kids as well. Have fun and happy lohiri to you and yours.
LikeLike
oh yes .. I have so many memories and I think since I moved to uk alone I remember them more often.
thank you so muchhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
LikeLike
I love bonfires…. I think the Halloween inventors borrowed the idea of collecting money and sweets from this festival….
LikeLike
he he he I am sure they did .. I love bonfires too actually it is sort of put together bonfire-happiness ..
LikeLike
Happy Lohri Bikram π
LikeLike
Thank you so much…
LikeLike
I think all these festivals mean so much to us because of the memories they bring of the wonderful times in our childhood π
Happy Lohri π
LikeLike
yes they are. my childhood has been good for sure.. I miss them so much now as i dont get to do all that here in uk
LikeLike
Thank you for the colorful peek into your customs. Always a pleasure to know new festivals and anecdotes with it.
Revadi is something I ate even as a child in Kolhapur. I used to have both fists full of the sticky delicacy. Happy Lohri!
LikeLike
thank you so much. yesss me tooo.. revadi and ground nuts.. yummyliscious
LikeLiked by 1 person
And of course, the jiggery -til-groundnut combo is perfect heat giving food for winter. Our ancestors were so wise!
LikeLike
Now you are making me jealous and droool I so want ot come to india right now
you will soon need to courier me some here :):)
LikeLiked by 1 person
happy lohri, B
May the coming year bring you heaps of happiness, good company and laughter π
LikeLike
thank you thank you π I hope too so mam, I really really need it happening .. things to change π
LikeLike
Happy Lohri. And this post reminds me of your earlier post where you shared ‘sunder mundariye’ π
LikeLike
yes , I did post 3 years ago or was it 2.. π thank you Saru you remember WOWOWOW π
LikeLike
Happy Lohri to you tooo….
LikeLike
THank you so much
LikeLiked by 1 person
Lohri is my favorite festival and I love exchanging sweets with the neighbors. We have this nice lady who makes this amazing mithai with sesame seeds and I always get the biggest share. Happy Lohri Bikramjit. Your post reminded me so many wonderful things π
LikeLike
π yesss wowow next time I am coming with you to have those sesame seed sweets ..
LikeLike
It has been many years since I experienced a full-fledged Punjabi Lohri celebration. Your post made it come alive π Thanks for this. And Happy Lohri and Sankranti.
LikeLike
Well cant say for this year but maybe next year you can come over and enjoy it again …
thank you so much for the wishes ..
LikeLike
Happy Lohri Bikram… Down the memory lane reading this post π
Oh what fun!”Til sade. paap jale”.. After the traditions, my cousins and me would sit around the lohri fire and roast potatoes π The tradition became more dearer once we left our home town for studies.. we made it a point to reach home for Lohri!
LikeLike
oh yes Til sade paap jale for sure , I put so many have done a lot of paap π and you reminded me of the potatoes yesssssssssssssssssssssss .. the sweet potatoes also .. and also the Green Cholle, and as you said those traiditons are so very dearer now that I am not home ..
LikeLike
Bikram,A very happy Lohri
LikeLike
Thank you so much Chowla sir
LikeLike
Happy Lohri
–
–
LikeLike
Thank you so much for the wishes
LikeLike
Happy Lohri to you, your family and all your readers. What wonderful memories you have stirred up my friends.
God Bless.
LikeLike
Thank you so much..
LikeLike
Happy Lohri, though a bit belated wishes, Bikram! Be happy always!
LikeLike
wishes are never late sandhya bhen.. always welcome .. thank you so much
LikeLike
Happy Lohri, Bikram!
Enjoy. π We celebrated Makar Sankranti on 14th π
LikeLike
thank you thank you so muchhhhhhh.. and a very happy sankrati to you Anita
LikeLike
Happy Lohri
LikeLike
Thank you so muchhhhhhhh Anita, How are you doing ..
LikeLiked by 1 person
Doing well. Keeping busy!
LikeLike
hmmm Busy is good keep you out of trouble π he he he he
LikeLiked by 1 person
Happy Lohri Bikram…we in Bengal celebrate this harvest festival at the same time. It’s called “Nabanna” meaning ‘new grains’ π
LikeLike
Thank you so much .. and thank you for telling us about how it is celebrated in bengal tooo
LikeLiked by 1 person
My pleasure… π
LikeLike
o..good old days of celebrating festivals with friends and family. We would do simlar stuff on Diwali…fire crackers and then chat away till late in the night…now all that is like a dream…:)
LikeLike
I know but I have made up my mind that each year I am going to try to celebrate One festival with family and friends back home in india… so lets see if i am able to keep that plan
LikeLike
Happy Lohri Bikram!
How are you brother?
LikeLike
Gauravvvvvvvvvvvvvvv hellllooooooooooo. .. How are you .. long timeeeee. .
I am doing good..you tell me where are you. .what you doing..
Gooood to see you after so long …
LikeLike
I’m good as well π In Hyderabad these days working π
Planning to return to regular blogging.. I hope..hehe
LikeLike
come come .. it will be good to read your articles again .. jaldi jaldi
LikeLike