With the harvest season upon us, almost everyone has a reason to indulge in some revelry. From Makar Sankranti and Lohri to Bhogali Bihu (also called Magh Bihu) and Pongal, the next three days will see festivities across India.
Marking the beginning of the harvest season and spring, communities observe the occasion with their own set of traditions rooted in the geography and culture of the region from which they hail. There will be family meals, colourful kites, singing and dancing well into the night. Despite the many forms it will take, the festival is essentially a way to pay homage to the sun and pray for a good harvest.
As Indians gear up for the festivities, social media is alive with revellers posting updates about their every move.
Lohri
Specific to the state of Punjab, Lohri, observed on Wednesday, marks the end of winter. “Loh” means light and the festival is associated with the worship of sun and fire. It is an important occasion for farmers as it celebrates the harvest of rabi, a winter crop.The day after Lohri is called Magh and considered the first day of the new financial year. A week before Lohri, small groups of boys went around knocking on doors and singing Lohri songs and were given treats in return. Turning them away empty-handed is considered inauspicious.
This collection of goodies, including popcorn, rice puffs and peanuts, is called Lohri and is distributed among revellers during the night-time celebration, where everyone gathers around a bonfire. It is traditional to offer til (sesame), jaggery and phulley (popcorn) to the participants as well as to fire. Drums are played and revellers dance the bhangra and gidda. After the bonfire rituals, a dinner of winter foods such as makki ki roti and sarson ka saag is eaten.
Makar Sankranti
Makar Sankranti, which will be observed on Friday, takes on different forms in different states. In Uttar Pradesh, it is also referred to as “Khichdi Parv” and it is considered auspicious to offer khichdi to the sun god. The ingredients for the dish – rice, lentils, salt – are presented to priests. In Maharashtra, people feed each other laddoos made from sesame seeds and jaggery. “Til gul ghya, goad goad bola," they will greet each – “eat sweets and speak sweet things”. In Bengal, the festival is called Poush Sankranti and is celebrated with sweets made using date palm jaggery.
In Gujarat, the occasion is marked with a sky full of colours. Called “Uttarayan” here, the festival is celebrated by flying kites. Ahmedabad hosts an International Kite Festival every year, bringing master kite makers and flyers from all over the world to demonstrate their creations. Elsewhere, entire families gather on roof tops as neighbours battle to cut each other’s kites down. Nobody goes indoors until it’s too dark to fly and even then, some paper lantern-style kites can be seen up in the sky bearing candles burning inside.
Bhogali Bihu
Also coming up on Friday is the Assamese festival of Bhogali or Magh Bihu. “Mejis” – structures made of wood or tree leaves – are constructed in the open spaces in villages and towns. The tradition is to celebrate all night and guard these structures while feasting on traditional delicacies. The mejis are burned at dawn. The fire is considered holy and is worshipped by the community.
Pongal
Pongal, the four-day harvest festival observed in Tamil Nadu, ends on Friday. It gets its name from the Tamil word for “to boil over”. One of the ceremonial acts unique to Pongal is that of boiling rice and milk in an earthen pot on a fire until it spills over – a sign of abundance.
Kollams, or rangolis, are drawn in front or the side of houses and the air is thick with the aroma of sweetmeats and savouries like murukku and payasam. Pongal also refers to a dish made with rice cooked with milk and sweetened with jaggery.
