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What is the Bonfire Ritual in Lohri Festival? In the evening, with the setting of the sun, huge bonfires are lit in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses and people gather around the rising flames, circle around (parikrama) the bonfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other munchies into the fire, shouting “Aadar aye dilather jaye” (May honor come and poverty vanish!) and sing popular folk songs.
What is the Bonfire Ritual in Lohri Festival?
This is a sort of prayer to Agni, the fire god, to bless the land with abundance and prosperity. After the parikrama, people meet friends and relatives, exchange greetings and gifts, and distribute prasad (offerings made to god). The prasad comprises five main items: til, gajak, jaggery, peanuts, and popcorn. Winter savories are served around the bonfire with the traditional dinner of makki-di-roti (multi-millet hand-rolled bread) and sarson-da-saag (cooked mustard herbs).
Best Place to Celebrate Lohri Festival in India:
Well, if you haven’t been a part of this vibrant festival then I am here to give you some top places to visit for Lohri celebration. All these places come with a guarantee of some epic Lohri celebration, and you will surely love your time at these destinations.
- Amritsar: Undoubtedly, a not-to-miss out destination in Punjab whenever it is about the celebrating the festival of Lohri and the home to the famous Golden Temple, Amritsar is one of those cities in Punjab that have kept its culture and traditions well-preserved, and hence, the people of the city keenly look forward to the festival of Lohri.
- Chandigarh: Touted as one of the cleanest cities in India, Chandigarh is amongst the best places in India to be a part of the effervescent festival of Lohri. Whatever festival it is, the people of Chandigarh know how to cherish a day or celebrate it to the fullest. With the traditional celebration which include singing and dancing, Lohri in Chandigarh is a high-spirited celebration.
- New Delhi: Like the Punjab region, the capital city also celebrates the festival of Lohri with much devotion and ardour. Being a cosmopolitan, the entire city of Delhi celebrates this festival. However, there are few Punjabi areas like Punjabi Bagh, Karol Bagh, Tilak Nagar and Subhash Nagar where you can see a larger chunk of people celebrating the Lohri festival. Being a diverse city with many cultures, the Lohri celebration in Delhi, as compared to that of in Punjab, is bit different, yet, it is fun to watch.
- Ludhiana: Located on the bank of Sutlej River, Ludhiana is another place in Punjab where the winter festival of India, Lohri, is celebrated on a grand scale. In the city, the preparations of the celebration start a month in advance, people fly kites, dance performances are choreographed in advance, fairs are organized days before the festival, and much more.
- Jalandhar: One of the historical cities in Punjab is Jalandhar. Despite the modernization, the people of the city have managed to keep alive the traditional and cultural history of Punjab. And if you want to witness the traditional celebration of Lohri, no other place than Jalandhar is best to enjoy that.
