A major festival in India, Bhogi also called Lohri, is celebrated in different ways in different States but the spirit behind the celebration is common – welcoming the spring season that comes with warmth, positivity and prosperity
Bhogi-Lohri – The festivals may be known by different names but the spirit behind celebrating them is more or less one and the same in all of the regions that it is celebrated. Bhogi is the first day of the four-day Makar Sankranti festival which is an important festival in the Hindu calendar and the first to come in the New Year. According to the Gregorian calendar Bhogi, also known as Lohri, is celebrated on January 13 and is a major festival in Goa, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, and even Sri Lanka.
“Actually the names sound different but the concept behind both is similar,” informs Akhila Subramaniam, a south Indian from Mumbai who has been participating in the festival in her complex for over two decades. In her village in Tamil Nadu, people celebrate for four days culminating with Pongal. “It’s thanking the Sun, considering this deity to be the giver of food, and thus expressing gratitude towards this gesture. The festival points towards the farmers’ celebrations in an agricultural country like India, though city dwellers too enjoy the rituals even today,” she adds.
In Maharashtra and Gujarat it is also called Uttarayan apart from Makar Sankranti, while in Andhra Pradesh, Kerala and Karnataka including Tamil Nadu the festival is primarily known as Makar Sankranti and in Punjab it is Lohri. The Punjabis circle around the bonfire in a clockwise direction and offering specially prepared food to the fire is a central ritual on Lohri, symbolising the burning away of negativity and celebrating new beginnings.
“We toss popcorn, peanuts, sesame seeds, jaggery, tilgul laddoos and revadis in the fire as an expression of gratitude to the deity Surya (Sun), sing folk songs and dance,” says Vicky Chabbra, who lives in Delhi NCR. The festival is largely celebrated in rural families living in the city. For farmers in surrounding villages, this popular harvest festival marks the end of the winter solstice and the start of the sun’s northward journey (Uttarayan), ushering in warmer days and the harvest of rabi crops.
“Bhogi is a day to discard old things, and concentrate on new beginnings. It’s a transitional period from old to new. One of the rituals on this day is to burn the old, unwanted wooden furniture which will not be used anymore. We kindle fire in the courtyard or compound where people from the neighbourhood sit, chat and enjoy snacks. In Maharashtra, the day symbolises the end of previous year’s crop and day one of the start of the new crop,” explains Hemlata Yeole, from Jalgao.
Each region has its own name for the festival and also a unique way of celebrating. However, the primary reason to celebrate the festival is common. It's the beginning of spring season, end of chilly winter, as the transition of the Sun into Makar Rashi brings a change in the weather - and warmth too. It's time to harvest the crops, rejoice and welcome the new season and the new beginning.
Holi, festival of colours is preceded by this ritual bonfire which commemorates the victory of good over evil. Similar to Lohri, a large pyre is built and lit after sunset circling the fire is considered to wade off negativity, impurities and egoistic attitudes and taking a step towards fresh, positive start.
It is symbolic and a reminder of the story of a child devotee of Lord Vishnu, named Pralhad. His father King Hiranyakashyapu, annoyed and agitated with his little son’s devotion, ordered Holika to kill him by sitting in the pyre. Holika had a boon that fire couldn't kill her. But as she sits on the pyre with Pralhad on her lap, the fire engulfs her and turns into ashes, while little Pralhad comes out unhurt.
Bhogi, Lohri and Holi are followed by Makar Sankranti – the only Hindu festival based on the solar calendar, instead of lunar. It’s a vital festival celebrating the Sun’s northward journey (Uttarayan) marking the end of winter and start of spring, ushering in the harvest season for farmers who celebrate the harvest of winter crops like wheat, sugarcane, corn, groundnuts and pulses. The traditions include taking a dip in the rivers, kite flying, communal feasts and sharing sesame and jaggery sweets (tilgul laddoos).
For spiritual seekers, and meditators the period is utmost auspicious. The festival showcases the cultural bonds and community spirit in different States – Tamil Nadu, Gujarat and Assam where it has regional names Pongal, Uttarayan and Bhiu, respectively. People fast and give donations. The Haldi-Kumkum ceremony begins with Makar Sankranti. It’s a much awaited ceremony celebrated by married women who visit each other’s homes and exchange gifts.
