Friday 13 January 2012

LOHRI : The Bonfire Festival

Lohri is a popular A Hindu Winter Celebration Festival celebrated by the Punjabis. It is celebrated around the middle of January

Lohri is celebrated to denote the last of the coldest days of winter.

In houses that have recently had a marriage or childbirth, Lohri celebrations will reach a higher pitch of excitement. Lohri celebrates fertility and the spark of life.



Customs & Legends
In the morning on Lohri day, children go from door to door singing and demanding the Lohri 'loot' in the form of money and eatables like til (sesame) seeds, peanuts, jaggery, or sweets like gajak, rewri, etc.
They sing in praise of Dulha Bhatti, a Punjabi avatar of Robin Hood who robbed the rich to help the poor.



The Bonfire Ritual
In the evening, with the setting of the sun, huge bonfires are lit in the harvested fields and in the front yards of houses and people gather around the rising flames, circle around (parikrama) the bonfire and throw puffed rice, popcorn and other munchies into the fire, shouting "Aadar aye dilather jaye" (May honor come and poverty vanish!), and sing popular folk songs. This is a sort of prayer to Agni, the fire god, to bless the land with abundance and prosperity. After the parikrama, people meet friends and relatives, exchange greetings and gifts, and distribute prasad (offerings made to god). The prasad comprises five main items: til, gajak, jaggery, peanuts, and popcorn. Winter savories are served around the bonfire with the traditional dinner of makki-di-roti (multi-millet hand-rolled bread) and sarson-da-saag (cooked mustard herbs).


Song & Dance
Bhangra dance by men begins after the offering to the bonfire. Dancing continues till late night with new groups joining in amid the beat of drums. Traditionally, women do not join Bhangra. They hold a separate bonfire in their courtyard orbiting it with the graceful gidda dance.

The 'Maghi' Day
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. Sweet dishes (usually kheer) are prepared with sugar cane juice to mark the day.

A Celebration of Fertility
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, it assumes a larger significance wherein the host family arranges for a feast and merry-making with the traditional bhangra dance along with rhythm instruments, like the dhol and the gidda. The first Lohri of a new bride or a newborn baby is considered extremely important.

Thanksgiving & Get-together!
Nowadays, Lohri brings in an opportunity for people in the community to take a break from their busy schedule and get together to share each other's company. In other parts of India, Lohri almost coincides with the festivals of Pongal, Makar Sankranti, and Uttarayan all of which communicate the same message of oneness and celebrates the spirit of brotherhood, while thanking the Almighty for a bountiful life on earth.

INFO COURTESY GOOGLES AND VARIOUS WEBSITES

Tuesday 10 January 2012

Keh Doon Tumhe Ya Chup Rahoon - Deewar



A Sweet Classic Song Of The 70's
This Is For My Big Brother... Salhan Saab

song : Keh Doon Tumhe Ya Chup Rahoon
Film : Deewar 1975
singer : Kishore Kumar & Asha Bhonsle
Music : R D Burman
Lyrics : Sahir Ludhianvi
actors : Shashi Kapoor & Neetu Singh

Sunday 8 January 2012

Some Interesting Quotes

When you do anything new, at 1st people laugh at you, then they challenge you, then they watch you succeed & then they wish they were you.

Four candles were talking to each other
1st-"I am PEACE, no one needs me" & it went off..
2nd-"I am FAITH, nobody believes in me" & it went off..
3rd-"I am LOVE, nobody cares for me" & it went off..
4th-"I can light the other three because I am HOPE & I last forever!"
Life is tough, sometimes impossible to live.. but never lose hope. I wish that your candle of HOPE lights all your other candles and keep them glowing. Stay Blessed

Worries are like a bird, let them fly over you, But do not give them a chance to build a nest on your head.


I May Not Be The Most Important Person In Your Life But I just Hope That One Day…When You Hear My Name You Will Just Smile & Say Hey That's My Friend..!!!

Life never seems to be the way we want it, but we live in the best way we can, there is no perfect life, but we can fill it with perfect moments, keep smiling