More often we have heard people singing folk songs on festive occasions in India but we never bother to understand the true meaning and stories behind them. Today on the festive day of Lohri when whole North India is busy celebrating, DELHIBUMPS would like to drag your attention towards the rituals behind the Lohri festival and some of the folk songs related to it...
Over time, people have associated Lohri to the tale of Dulla Bhatti. The central character of most Lohri songs is Dulla Bhatti,who lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal Emperor Akbar. Dulla Bhatti was a rebel whose lineage was of Bhatti Rajputs. His
ancestors were the rulers of Pindi Bhattian in Sandal Bar area of
present day Pakistan. He was regarded as a hero in Punjab. Besides robbing the rich, he
rescued girls being forcibly taken to be sold in slave market of the
Middle East from the Punjab
region. He arranged their marriages to Hindu boys with rituals and
provided them with dowries. So every other Lohri song has words to
express gratitude to Dulla Bhatti. One of the Lohri folk song on Dulla Bhatti goes like this...
Sunder mundriye ho!
Tera kaun vicharaa ho!
Dullah Bhatti walla ho!
Dullhe di dhee vyayae ho!
Ser shakkar payee ho!
Kudi da laal pathaka ho!
Kudi da saalu paata ho!
Salu kaun samete!
Chache choori kutti! zamidara lutti!
Zamindaar sudhaye!
Bade bhole aaye!
Ek bhola reh gaya!
Sipahee far ke lai gaya!
Sipahee ne mari itt!
Sanoo de de Lohri, te teri jeeve jodi!
Bhaanvey ro te bhaanvey pitt!
Sunder Mundariye, hoye!'- a line from the most popular Lohri folk songs, sung in the praise of Dulla Bhatti- a dacoit from Punjab. This song speaks about how he robbed the rich to help the poor and can be translated as:
(Rhyming: beautiful one like a ringlet one!)
Who will save you poor one (to a rescued girl)
Dullah Bhatti is here for you (He rescued the girls who were abandoned and rejected after kidnap!)
The Duallah married off his daughter (the rescued girls were adopted by him as his daughters)
He gave a measure (sher about a kilo)of sugar!
The girl is wearing bridal red dress!
But her shawl is torn (poor and soiled-girl has been raped?)!
Who will stitch her shawl(repair her reputation)?!
The maternal uncle made sweet ghee bread (choori)! (maternal uncles were responsible to vouch for chastity of the girl)
The landlords ravished it (meaning the girl kidnapped by rich moghul landlords!)!
He made the landlords eat a lot!
Lots of innocent guys came (poor grooms)
One innocent boy got left behind (the poorest of poor!)
The soldiers arrested him! (Indicated that he was in collusion with Bhatti the rebel)
The soldiers hit him with a brick! (tortured him)
Cry or howl!
Give us lohri (gifts) ..long live you couple!"
Apart from folk songs, the festivals also mark their presence in calendars due to some cosmic relevance as well. It is observed that it denotes the end of the biting colds of winters when the earth is farthest from the sun at this point of
time and starts its journey towards the sun, thus ending the coldest month of the
year, Paush and marks the sun’s
entry into the ‘Makar Rashi’ (north hemisphere), mainly associated with worshiping the sun and fire. Thus the ritual of lighting fire and offering Tils(Sesame seeds) to it.The next day after Lohri is thus, Makar Sankranti, or Maghi, when
Sun enters Makar-the next zodiac sign after Dhanur. Sometimes, sun
enters Makar a day earlier or later than usual; during that time, Lohri
is celebrated on 12th or the 14th of January as well.
The day following Lohri is called 'Maghi', signifying the beginning of the month
of Magh. According to Hindu beliefs, this is an auspicious day
to take
a holy dip in the river and give away charity. Thus we usually observe
"Kumbh Mela" (the mass calling for the holy dip) this time in Allahabad
starting from January 14th.
Cosmic relevance is the least seen thing these days when relating to festivals. We often see regional significance of the festival. In Punjab, the breadbasket of India, Lohri is not just a festival for the people of Punjab, but a symbol of
life. This harvesting festival is associated with hopes of farmers, as
they believe that the fields promise a golden yield to them. Wheat(Rabi crop) is the main winter crop, which is
sown in October and harvested in March or April. In January, the fields come
up with the promise of a golden harvest, and farmers celebrate Lohri during
this rest period before the cutting and gathering of crops.
Lohri is more than just a festival, especially for the people of Punjab. Punjabis
are a fun-loving, sturdy, robust, energetic, enthusiastic and jovial race, and
Lohri is symbolic of their love for celebrations and light-hearted flirtations
and exhibition of exuberance. Lohri celebrates fertility and the joy of life, and in the event of the birth
of a male child or a marriage in the family.
The first Lohri of a new bride or a newborn baby is considered extremely important. The rituals and celebrations associated with Makara Sankaranti and
Lohri are only symbolic of a common thanksgiving to nature as
represented by the Sun god, and in the process, the festivities embody a
spirit of brotherhood, unity and gratitude, with family reunions and
merrymaking generating a lot of happiness, goodwill and cheer. So let this Lohri be your best. Be jolly. Dance and enjoy, forget the rest...Happy Lohri...
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