Why do Punjabi families light a bonfire on Lohṛī?

to thank the fire and the Sun for the winter harvest, and to celebrate new beginnings such as a wedding or a baby’s first Lohṛī.

Lohṛī falls on the night before Makara Saṅkrānti (Maghi in Punjab), usually 13 January, marking the end of the coldest days and the ripening of the rabi crops. As darkness falls, families and neighbours gather around a bonfire, walk around it, and offer til (sesame), gur (jaggery), peanuts, revaṛī, gajak and popcorn into the flames, asking for warmth, plenty and health.

Children go from house to house singing Lohṛī songs, the most famous being “Sundar mundriye”, which remembers Dullā Bhaṭṭī, a folk hero who protected girls, and receive sweets and money. The evening goes on with bhangṛā, giddhā and a meal of sarson dā sāg and makkī dī roṭī.

A family’s first Lohṛī after a wedding or a child’s birth is celebrated especially warmly. Many families now joyfully celebrate a baby girl’s first Lohṛī just as they do a boy’s.

Song: “Sundar mundriye” (Dullā Bhaṭṭī) · Source: common practice in Punjab

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