Why is Lohri celebrated?

The festival of Lohri is come out from some highly interesting folk legends. Mainly the story of Dulla Bhatti is quoted to be associated with this annual event. This festival celebration also underlines the essential Hindu-Muslim unity that is typical to the noble culture of India.

The kind-hearted highway robber-Dulla Bhatti

He was a Muslim Highway robber who lived in Punjab during the King Akbar rule. Even though his main occupation as robbery on highways, he was also famous for rescuing Hindu girls from those who were abducting them to sell in the slave market of the UAE or Middle East. He even helped many girls get married to Hindu bridegrooms by organizing the Hindu wedding ceremonies and practices. Once they got married, he settled them happily and even offered them dowry. Lohri Festival therefore came to be celebrated as a mark of thankfulness to this heroic personality.

However, there is yet another view that claims that this Lohri/ Lohi festival derives its name from the name of San Kabir's wife “Loi” also term as Lohi. There are others who speaks that the name of the festival has its origin from the term loh that refers to a thick iron sheet or tawa used for baking chapatis.

Yet another legend states that among the sisters Holika & Lohri, Holika died in the holi fire while the second one survived thus bringing the name to the festival.

Many folks associate the celebration of Lohri festival with the solar year. It has got to herald agriculture. The principal deity worshiped during this festival is fire god. Symbolically, Lohri marks the dawn of summar.

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