India Events and Festivals

1/13/2010 - 1/13/2010Lohri

Marking the imminent end of the winter season, Lohri is a Hindu religious festival and a huge cultural event in many parts of northern India and particularly in Punjab. The date of the festival is determined by the solar calendar and Lohri marks the coldest day of the year. The event is inextricably linked to the land and the harvesting seasons with the festival being seen as the last chance for rest and merriment before the crop harvesting begins later in the year in March or April. As the sun sets on the evening of Lohri, huge bonfires are lit across the state symbolising the sun and the move away from winter towards the warmth of the summer months. Whole communities often gather for religious services and to share meals and snacks cooked on the open fires.