LOHRI FESTIVAL

• The most popular folklore associated with Lohri is that of the legend Dulla Bhatti, who had lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar.
• He used to rob the rich and help the needy and poors.
• As per historians, once he saved a girl from the kidnappers and took care of her like his daughter.
• And on her wedding day, he even performed the rituals in the absence of a priest.
• People loved him and respected him, and began to sing the folk song "Sundar-Mundriye" every year on the occasion of Lohri.

3. Significance of Lohri

• It is believed that after Lohri the sun’s trek northward come to an end on Lohri.
• After Makar Sankranti, the day after this festival, the nights get shorter and the days get longer.
• In short, the festival is celebrated for the arrival of warmer weather, which is represented by the bonfire.
• From this day on, a lot of people, particularly farmers, start harvesting the crop.
• On this day, people also recite some antiquated mantras so they can feel the warmth of the sun during the chilly winter days.
• The festival holds special importance for a new bride and even a newborn in the family, and family members make sure to make their first Lohri a memorable one.
• They together pray for good health and prosperity.

4. The rituals of Lohri

• The celebration involves lighting a bonfire, doing parikrama of the bonfire and devoting puffed rice, jaggery, sesame seeds, popcorn, and coconut in the fire and pray the almighty for a prosperous New Year.
• People also sing folk songs and dance, especially bhangra and gidda on this auspicious occasion.

5. Dulla’s rebellion

• Dulla’s father and grandfather were Muslim-Rajput landlords (zamindaars) of Nankana Sahib in Sandal Bar region of Punjab who opposed the taxation system levied by the Mughal empire under Emperor Akbar.
• They refused to pay the new taxes to the local ‘Faujdar’ (military officer appointed to collect taxes). 
• There were frequent skirmishes between the Bhatti landlords and the Faujdar’s armies where the Bhattis pushed back and defeated the Mughal forces.
•  Ultimately, Emperor Akbar called for their arrests and execution. They were executed 4 months before Dulla was born.
• Ladhi hid her husband and father-in-law’s weapons in a closed room and kept their history a secret from the headstrong teenage Dulla.
• When Dulla and his friends created mischief in the village by damaging women’s water pots with their catapults, a village woman taunted him by saying, “Why do you show your strength here to women and poor people? If you are so strong, go and avenge your father”.
• This made Dulla ask his mother to tell him the truth and she finally opened up the secret room full of weapons.
• Dulla’s young blood and courage led him to form a band of highway robbers along with his friends using these weapons.
• They would steal from the rich traders and distribute the goods to poor villagers Dulla became a saviour for the poor.
• One such poverty-stricken Brahmin landed at Dulla’s camp with a special plea.
• He had two young and beautiful daughters Sundari and Mundari, who were betrothed in another village.
• He was too poor to afford a wedding, let alone two.
• Meanwhile, the local Mughal officials had their eye on the girls and a delay in their weddings would mean that they could be carried off any moment by the soldiers to be kept as slaves.
• Desperate to save his daughters, the Brahmin implored Dulla for help.
• Dulla vowed that he would make sure the two girls would be safely wed to their betrothed and told the Brahmin, “Your daughters are my daughters”.
• He started a donation campaign in the neighbousring villages and people donated jaggery and grains in small and large amounts for the double wedding.
• On the wedding day, Dulla lit huge bonfires along the path to ensure safe passage for the wedding party.
• As Dulla’s reputation spread across the neighbouring areas, the landlords grew bolder and stopped paying taxes, as the Faujdars themselves were unable to enter Dulla’s territory.
• However, Dulla’s rebellion came to an abrupt end when after repeated defeats on the battlefield, the Mughal officers offered to meet and make a peace treaty with him.
• But this negotiation meeting turned out to be a trap and the officers poisoned his food which made him unconscious and thus he was captured, and eventually hanged to death in 1599.

For Prelims & Mains