Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Jan 13: Lohri- the winter festival of Northern India, was celebrated today across Jammu region with traditional fervour and rituals.
On the occasion, people lit bonfire and exchanged Lohri greetings to each other besides distributing sweets, peanuts, Gajak etc. Children attired in traditional dresses and carrying `Chhajjaa’, were also seen busy visiting from door to door in their localities to say Lohri greetings. They were given pleasantries and gifts in exchange.
The entire Jammu city gave a festive look as there was huge rush on shops with people making purchasing of ground nuts, walnuts, rewri, fruits etc.
Various social, religious and political organizations also organized Lohri events at different places, during which bonfire was lit to maintain the tradition. People danced to the tunes of traditional songs on the drum beats around the holy fire of Lohri.
Carrying the Chhajjaa- made of bamboo sticks and decorated with coloured paper, young boys were seen performing ‘Chhajja dance’ and cheering amid applause from the elders.
‘Tricholi, prepared of soaked rice by adding groundnut, rewri, gur, walnut kernel etc, was offered to Fire God amid circumambulation of the bonfire and chanting Vedic mantras.
Throughout the day, people also visited the houses of their relatives and friends and exchanged gifts and greetings with each other. Through social media, people posted various colourful Lohri messages and videos to their friends and relatives.
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On the occasion, close relatives and friends were invited for feast in the houses where first Lohri was being celebrated by the bride or the parents of the newborn child.
Likewise the day long Lohri celebrations were held in other parts of the Jammu with people lighting bonfire at different Chowks and lanes and extending Lohri greetings to people.
Reports said that Lohri was celebrated in a traditional way in Kathua, Samba, Udhampur, Ramban, Rajouri, Poonch, Kishtwar and Doda districts with people extending Lohri greetings to each other.
The auspicious event corresponds with the beginning of ‘Magh’ month, which initiates only a day after Lohri indicating the finish of severe winter. This festival marks the beginning to the end of biting chill of winter season and people welcome the arrival of longer days after the Winter Solstice. Lohri is also associated with the harvest of Rabi crops.
Various legends are also associated with this popular festival. The most famous among them is the legend of Dulla Bhatti. He is believed to have lived in Punjab during the reign of Emperor Akbar. According to Punjabi folklore, he used to act in the ‘Robin Hood’ manner, steal or rob the rich of the rich people’s money and rescue the poor girls from being sold as slaves in the slave markets. He would arrange their marriage to boys in the village and give them dowry from the money taken from the rich. Among these rescued girls were Sundri and Mundri who have now come to be associated with the popular folklore ‘Sunder Munderiye’.
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