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Introduction:
 When
the Sun starts its return
journey towards the northern
hemisphere that is the day
we celebrate Makar Snakranti
in India. This was a more
scientific definition for
more cerebral people. For
spiritual types the meaning
remains the same with slight
twists in terminology and
we call that the Sun is
now Uttarayan. As being
in the northern hemisphere,
this phase has developed
as more auspicious one for
an agrarian society like
India. According to Mahabharata,
Bhishma Pitamaha preferred
to wait for about six months
for Sun to be in Uttarayan
and waited full of pain
and agony, fully pierced
and wounded by arrows!
For more joyous variety
Makar Snakranti means an
excuse to feast on many
traditional goodies no matter
what name one gives to this
festival in different corners
of India.
Lohri
Lohri is more about celebration
and partying rather than
spiritual. And this primarily
because like most of the
festivals of India Lohri
is also associated with
harvest season. Apart from
celebrating new harvest
this is also a way to say
good bye to chilly winters
of Northern India. There
can not be a far better
way than to light a bonfire,
to dance around with, in
order to bid adieu to ‘sheet
lahar’ of the North.
Legends
of Lohri
Dulha
Bhatti
According to folklore Dulha
Bhatti was a desi Robin
Hood, who saved a girl from
her abductors. Later on
he arranged for marriage
as well for that girl. Rural
folks still sing folksongs
to remember heroics of Dulha
Bhatti.
Rituals
Lohri is a way of showing
our gratitude to the Sun
God for all the bounty he
bestows upon us. As a mark
of this grains from new
harvest are offered to the
fire God. All the goodies
prepared on this day is
made of raw materials from
the new season’s harvest
only.
As this is harvest related
festival so ladies with
newborn baby get special
attention on this day. The
lady will dress in al her
finery with baby sitting
on her lap becoming cynosure
of all eyes. Newly wed couples
also take blessings from
gods and elders to be able
to continue their lineage.
Food.
Main ingredient is jaggery
(Gud) and sesame seed (Til),
which is eaten raw also.
Sweet dishes in the shape
of cookies, called Gazak,
are made with primary ingredient
being Gud and Til and variants
can be as simple as replacing
Gud with sugar and as varied
as replacing Til with almost
anything, especially groundnut,
puffed rice, flattened rice. |
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