People celebrate Lohri in Bhubaneswar on Monday. Picture by Sanjib Mukherjee

Bhubaneswar/Sambalpur, Jan. 16: Joyful Lohri celebrations were seen in different places throughout the state by members of the Punjabi community. Punjabi Arya Sanatan Biradri organised a lavish festivity in the capital city recently while in Sambalpur, the occasion was observed with vigour on Sunday.

The warmth of the Lohri fire, on the Arya Samaj premises, was tender enough to amp up the mellow winter spirit of the Punjabis in the city. Adding to the glow of the holy bonfire was the loud and captivating beats of dhol that made Lohri a high-spirited affair in the city.

The Punjabi residents took every possible step to make their first festival of the year a memorable one. Like the past 10 years, this year, too, the occasion was observed in an extravagant manner suffused with good food and lively Punjabi folk music and dance.

Enchanting the popular Punjabi folk song Dullah Di Dhi Viyahi! Hoi! the festive crowd circled around the Lohri fire and paid homage to the Sun god. Authentic Punjabi cuisine starting from sarson da saag, makei di roti to delicacies such as gajrela, paneer ki sabzi, dal makhani were spread on the platter.

“We offer flat rice, jaggery, pulses, peanuts, sesame seed and many other edible items to the fire and pray for a good harvest. Music and dance is an integral part of the festival. Performing the traditional folk dance gidda and bhangra is a must,” said Ashmeet, a reveler.

The Punjabis in Sambalpur organised Lohri at Nariseva Sadan . Hundreds of people thronged the festival organised on Sunday evening. The Punjabi community here has been organising the festival for the past seven years.

The youths of the community exhibited folk dance with the traditional Punjabi attire. Several fun events and games were also organised during the festival. The audience danced to the tune of the folk music.

“I have brought my son to the festival so that he gets to know Punjabi culture despite staying away from the state. It also feels great to see our local friends from other communities enjoying the festival with us,” said a visitor.

“Lohri is traditionally associated with harvest. People take peanuts, rewri, flour, butter and various food items to religious places to thank god for a good harvest. Organising it here is an effort to preserve our culture among younger community members,” said Bipin Bhatia, president of Punjabi Biradri in Sambalpur.

The celebration of Lohri is associated with the mythological episode of Holika, Dahan on the pyre when evil Holika, along with sister Lohri, had tried to punish Prahlad but burnt herself.

Another legend is woven around the tale of Dullah Bhatti, a Muslim highway robber, who lived in Punjab during the reign of Mughal emperor Akbar.

The robber rescued Hindu girls from being subjected to slavery and helped organise their marriages in a grand way. Most Lohri songs are based on Dullah Bhatti to express gratitude to his kindness.