LOHRI DIYAN LAKH LAKH VADHAYIAN
Lakhs of congratulations on Lohri, festival of Blessings for the welfare of
Children!
First of all I congratulate on the festival of Lohri. May God bless you and
your children.
WHY WE CELEBRATE LOHRI?
This festival we celebrate due to the reasons:
1. This festival of Lohri marks the beginning of the end of winter and coming
of spring and the New year. We fire lit at night, do hand warming, sing songs
and dance at the night of Lohri.
STORY BEHIND IT
As told by our parents. Dulla Bhatti, was like Robin Hood who rob the rich and
gave away the looted articles and money to the poor. The people of the area
loved him and respected him but in the eyes of the Govt. he was a wicked
person.
The story is Lohri word is derived from the word LORI. The Lori ( the song
which the mothers used to sing to get their infants sleep). It is the festival
we use to celebrate for the welfare of our children as during Lori period
usually mothers bless their children for their well being.
We celebrate Lohri to remember Dulla Bhatti person like Robin Hood.
The tale is: A person had two daughters called Sundari & Mundari. Both were
exceptionally beautiful. The person got his daughters engaged. As the
celebrations of marriage of the daughers were going on. The father got message
from their would be inlaws that we shall not get our sons married to your
daughters as we have got the message from a powerful person that if you get
your daughters married then we shall kidnap your daughters.
On getting this message, the father of the girls went to jungles in the search
of Dulla bhatti (King of Pind (Village) Bhattian) who was put to mughal king
for revolting against him. As Dulla Bhatti, like Robin Hood robbed the rich and
gave to the poor. So, the people of the area loved and respect him. Lastly he
found out Dulla Bhatti wala and told him the tale that my daughters will be
kidnapped and I am here to get your favour.
Dulla Bhatti who was basically a very nice person, assured the man that He will
adopt his daughters and will do the Kanya-dan (wedding rites). Dulla
Bhatti promised the man but he was nothing to offer to his adopted daughters in
wedding as he used to distribute what ever he had to the poor the same day.
He called the village persons and requested them to contribute something for
the wedding of his daughters. The village men contributed about Rs.1/- each for
the wedding.
We sing this song at the time of Lohri.
Sundar Mundariye ho!
Dulla Bhatti wala, ho!
Dulle di dhi viahi ho!(Daughter of Dulla got married)
Sher sakar pai " He gave kilo of sugar as a gift to everyone on the marriage of
his adopted daughters.
Dulle da salu pata ho! The honour of Dulla get questioned.
Salu kaun samete ho! Who saved the honour.
Chacha Churi kutti ho! The uncles (Village persons) Churi (the mixture of Sugar
& Flour wheat, corn, peanuts, popcorn, sweets made of til-chirva, gajak and
revari (sesame and jagery) means prepared dishes for the wedding party.
Dulle di dhi viahi ho!
Sanu de lohri. " Give us donation".
A few years back children had been moving form door to door, singing the Dulla
Bhati folk song and used to clebrate just to remember that Dulla Bhatti wala
had done a benevolent job with begging for the wedding of his adopted
daughters. Though he can get her married with a looted amount as well. But he
preferred to get them married with alms.
So, we celebrate the festival in the memory of our hero every year on this
auspicious day of Lohri by singing and dancing on this noble cause.
Why we dance around the Fire?
At the time of marriage of Sundari and Mundari Dulla Bhatti wala had did a
yagya. In which the fire had been lit and the prayers had been made about the
long life of Sundari and Mundari. As fire is associated with concepts of life
and health. Fire, like water is symbol of transformation and regeneration.
On this occasion, people offer peanuts and revari (sesame and jagery) to
propitiate fire as a symbol of the Sun God.
People also celebrate this festival where there is a birth of a newly born baby
and also by newly married couples.
I request you all my country men to loud their voice against female foeticide
problem. The counting of the girl children is going down day by day. If we
continue to get the girl child aborted then how we will get our sons married.
Give the girl child the right to say Mama to her mother. Don't kill her. We all
especially the Punjabis will repent later on if we continued to bear the stamp
of KURI MAR- Murderer of Daughters.
I on this occasion congratulate you all and wish that We should follow the
footsteps of DULLA BHATTI. WHO DID A NOBLE CAUSE AND WE REMEMBER HIM FROM THE
LAST SO MANY CENTURIES. AS THIS IS THE TALE OF MUGHAL REGIME.
So, by saluting the deeds of Dulla Bhatti I congratulate all my country men on
this festival of Lohri.
NA MARI, NA MARI, NA MARI, NA MARI MEINU MERIYE MAYEIN!
Don't kill me, Don't kill me, Don't kill me, Don't kill me my mother.
Regards!
RAJNEESH MADHOK,
B-XXX/63, NEHRU NAGAR, ST. NO. 2,
RAILWAY ROAD,
PHAGWARA-144401 (PB)
PH: 01824-262569 (O), 268210 (R). 094173-06415,
TELE-FAX: 01824-262569, E-MAIL: [email protected]
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