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Lohri Festival Celebrations is a popular harvest festival of the Northern part of the country. This is a celebrations held during the month of January. This is the time when the fields are fully harvested and farmers thus celebrate 2008 Lohri during the period of rest. Later on the crops are cut off and gathered. As per the versions of the Hindu calendar, Lohri Celebrations generally take place in the middle of January. Celebrations of this festival mean the end of the coldest month of the year and the summer season thus tends to begin.
2008 Lohri will be celebrated on 13th January (Sunday). An interesting evidence is found that the festival marks the end of Paush and thus the month of Magh begins. The symbolic phase of 'Uttarayan' i.e from January 14 to July 14, Lord Krishna has dedicated himself in full completeness of life. The
members of various 'Hindu' families feel that immersing in the Ganges means purifying the old sins and follies.
The origin of Lohri was an interesting one. Dating back to the tale of 'Dulla Bhatti', by the end of the first week of January, a meager group of boys started ringing the doorbell of houses and start singing songs pertaining to Dulla Bhatti. On listening to the songs the public gave to the Dulla Bhatti popcorn, peanuts, crystal sugar, sesame seeds, gur and monitory donations. Without paying anything to Dulla Bhatti, is regarded as un-ethical. 'Dulla Bhatti' is the central character of most 'Lohri' songs. Dulla Bhatti was a Muslim robber who stayed in Punjab during the rule of Emperor Akbar. Though the rich persons are robbed he rescued Hindu girls who were forcefully abducted for sale. The destination was in the slave market of Middle East. He arranged their weddings with Hindu boys. The wedding took place amidst Hindu retails and dowries were also provided. So every Lohri song has gratitude expressed for the contribution of Dulla Bhatti.
On the morning of Lohri Celebrations, children of Punjab knock at each door singing religious hymns. They demand the Lohri 'Loot' as gift with money and also with til (seasame) seeds peanuts, jaggery or confectionaries like gajak, rewri etc. The entire accolades were bestowed upon Dulla Bhatti, who is connoted as the Robin Hood of Punjab. People of Punjab neither could nor forget the contribution of Dullabhai for helping a lot to relieve the suffering of the poor. Once he had rescued a poor girl of Punjab and later on helped her to get married as a responsible brother does for his own sister.
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