Lohri Ayee Rey

' Making Byomkesh was my ...Page-44 SUNDAY, JANUARY 11, 2015 INTERNET EDITION : www.dailyexcelsior.com/magazine Akademi Awardees ....Page-33 LOHRI AYEE REY... Lalit Gupta Coming at the height of winter and ushering new foods and fruits of the season, the festival of Lohri has its roots in age old folk religion in which respect to the seasons and the natural elements of fire, wind, water and the earth is very important. Falling on January 13 this year, Lohri heralds the waning of winter and beginning of summer. This traditional belief is rooted in the scientific fact as geographically speaking the earth leans towards the sun along the Tropic of Capricorn (Makara Rekha) from the day following Lohri, also known as Winter Solstice. The earth, farthest from the sun at this point of time, starts its journey towards the sun along its elliptical orbit, thus heralding in the onset of spring. Marking the end of winter on the last day of Paush and beginning of Magha (around January 12 and 13) when the sun changes its course, Lohri is associated with the worship of the sun and fire and is observed by all communities. It is this transition which is celebrated as Lohri in northern India, Makara Sankranti in the central part of the country and as Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh, Bihu in Assam and Pongal-Sankranti in South India. Legend of Lohri There are various interesting folk stories and legends associated with this festival. One such legend popular in Punjab and Jammu is recapped in folk songs that relate to Dulla Bhatti, who lived in Punjab during the reign of Akbar. Dulla Bhatti was regarded as a hero in Punjab who besides rob- bing the rich, rescued poor Punjabi girls, being forcibly taken to be sold in cially those with a newly-wed couple or a newly-born male child collected everywhere . slave market of the Middle East from the Sandal Bar (a region bordering offerings in cash and kind-----has totally disappeared. Uttarayan: Celebrated all over Gujarat, Uttarayan is traditionally Jammu between the rivers Chenab and Ravi in Pakistani Punjab). He Instead the Lohri celebrations have been reduced to people sending per- believed to be the starting point of the sun's northward journey, is celebrat- arranged their marriages to boys and provided them with dowries. Amongst sonalized Lohri greetings and fancy gifts to their dear ones, the fascinating them were two girls Sundri & Mundri have gradually become theme of Lohri ed according to the solar calendar on 14th January. The distinguishing fea- Lohri messages and lovely Lohri SMS of 'Happy Lorhi. ture of Uttarayan in Gujarat is the flying of kites by people of all ages. The folk song. Since then this hero is remembered each year on Lohri and the Today Chajjas are part of Duggar culture's history. But on Lohri day, one traditional song is sung as a tribute to this hero: sky is enlivened by kites of different colors and hues. Kites soar in the sky, can still find groups of children carrying small triangular Chajjas singing their lines moving as if alive. Crowded rooftops, fun-loving rivalry to outdo Sunder Munderi hei!hoi Lohri songs and collecting gifts from people including cash which is later each other, and delicious fly The International Kite festival is also held as divided amongst the members of the groups. Tera kaun Bechara!hoi part of Uttarayan celebrations at Ahmedabad. Pongal: In south, Pongal is First Lohri: The festival assumes greater significance if there has been Dullah Bhattiwala!hoi a happy event in the family during the elapsed year, like the birth of a male a festival when god is praised with a simple faith and sincerity. Old vices Dullah di dhi viyahi!hoi child or marriage. The first Lohri of a bride or a newborn baby is consid- are all washed out and all that is good is welcomed in this New year. This Ceremony: One of the essential features of Lohri is the worship of fire. ered extremely auspicious. festival is of all living things, who look up to the heaven in joy and thank- The focus is on the bonfire. The Lohri fire gets sanctified and it is consid- Kudiyein Di Lohri: Recently there is a growing trend to celebrate the fulness to God for everything that He gives to man specially peace and hap- ered a representation of energy and spiritual strength and is lit during the first Lohri of newly born girl child also. This mirrors phenomenal change of piness and the feeling of brotherhood. festival in every household. There is puja, involving parikrama around the social mindset in giving equal importance to the female child. The new val- Makar Sankranti : Makar Sankranti marks the beginning of Uttarayan, fire and distribution of prasad. The prasad comprises of five main items: til ue system under which daughters are considered no less than boys has the Sun's northward journey. Makar is called Capricorn in the western astro- (sesame seed), gajak (a hardened bar of peanuts in jaggery or sugar syrup), found a befitting expression in Lohri celebrations. logical calendar. Makar Sankranti falls on 14th of January every year. gur (jaggery), moongphali (peanuts) and popcorn. This symbolises a prayer Festivities: Many days before Lohri, the streets witness rush of people Bihu/Bohaggiyo Bhishu: Bihu is the most important non-religious fes- to Agni, the spark of life, for abundant crops and prosperity. This festival is eagerly buying from shops, stalls and rehris, seasonal specialties like, tival of the Assamese people. People of this state observe it every year irre- moongphali, gajak, til, popcorns etc. also believed to burn all the moments of sadness and brings in warmth of spective of their class and caste. On the day of Lohri, apart from the animated groups of young children happiness and love. One of the most famous festivals of India, it is held on the Ganga Sagar who get money and eatables as gifts, in the late evening, the people irre- Celebration: Lohri, a festival of joy and fun is celebrated with great fer- spective of caste, creed or faith gather round the bonfire and do tradition- Island, at the mouth of the river Hooghly in Bengal. It is attended by thou- vour and festivity throughout Jammu region as elsewhere in northern India. al dances and sing songs of joy. Logs of wood as piled up together for a sands of pilgrims every year. A dip in the water at this place, during Gan- Significance of Lohri is no more restricted to celebration only but also implies bonfire in a busy chowk or a street corner and the people indulge in singings gasagar Mela, is considered to be extremely sacred. On the day of Makar a kind of wonderful break for people to rejuvenate themselves from their songs and dancing which symbolizes a prayer to Agni (Fire God) for abun- Sankranti (January 14), when the sun makes a transition to Capricorn from chores and come together to relive the old customs and rejoice in reitera- dant crops and prosperity as this festival is also associated with the har- Sagittarius, it is said that the bath becomes a holy source of salvation. tion of cultural values. It is customary to exchange Lohri wishes to cele- vest season. Many groups also sing songs and dance to the tune of drums. Social Significance of Lohri: Apart from religious importance, the brates the spirit of festivity. Lohri in other parts of the Country: festival of Lohri holds a great social significance. On this day people from In Jammu, the Lohri celebrations have witnessed a sea change since Lohri coincides with festival of Pongal in the South, Bhugali Bihu in all castes and creeds forgetting old animosities and ill will greet each oth- last four decades. The age old popular practice of group of young men from Assam, Bhogi in Andhra Pradesh and Sankranti in the central part of the er, visit houses of relatives, neighbors and friends and exchange sweets each mohalla, accompanied by beautifully crafted Chhajja, an artistic pres- country. Modes of celebrating Lohri are also different, but the message con- and gifts. This not only strengthens bonds of love and happiness but also entation of a dancing peacock, and dancing in gay abundance on deafen- veyed by the festival, that of setting aside differences and rejoicing by cel- provides an opportunity for social interaction, togetherness, amity and ing beats of drums and used to visit homes of relatives and friends espe- ebrating the end of the harvest season and the chilly winter is the same integration. A temple with unique murals Sunny Dua Going down the memory lane one can find several such instances where- in Hindus and Sikhs have confronted each other triggering riots and leaving indelible scars on each others' souls. Those unpleasant moments had not only drifted these two communities away from each other but also preached hatred amongst them from time to time. At a time when Punjab was burning and people were being killed on the basis of their religion or whenever there was any unrest anywhere in the country and people were massacred, a small hamlet located in not-so-dense forests of Sundarbani area of Jammu and Kashmir State was calmly rather in oblivion sermonizing Hindu-Sikh harmony. The village Chani Prat located about 10 kilometers from Sunderbani town of district Rajouri in Jammu division of J&K State had been sermonizing Hin- du-Sikh harmony but has never been recognised by anyone at any given point of time. Village Prat is surrounded by Kalakote Tehsil towards North, Nowshera Tehsil towards west , Akhnoor Tehsil towards East , Reasi Tehsil towards East .

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