AI Generated Summary
- It has always been observed that whenever a child is married or a child is born in a Punjabi family, the family celebrates the festival of Lohri with great enthusiasm.
- Families that still discriminate should remove this misconception and feel the same happiness and pride at the birth of a daughter as they do at the birth of a son.
- When their prospective in-laws backed out of the marriage out of fear, Dulla Bhatti, with the help of a Brahmin, lit a fire in the forest and arranged their marriage there.
Lohri is a traditional festival of Punjabis. It has always been observed that whenever a child is married or a child is born in a Punjabi family, the family celebrates the festival of Lohri with great enthusiasm. A bonfire is lit, and offerings such as peanuts, rewri, maize, etc. are put into the fire. People then circle the fire and pray for the happiness and peace of the family. However, it is commonly seen that this celebration is done only when a boy is born. Even today, most families do not celebrate Lohri when a girl is born, whereas in reality, the very origin of this festival is connected to girls.
During the reign of the Mughal emperor Akbar, a man named Dulla Bhatti rebelled against the Mughal army and rescued two Hindu girls named Sundri and Mundri, who were being sold to a wealthy merchant. When their prospective in-laws backed out of the marriage out of fear, Dulla Bhatti, with the help of a Brahmin, lit a fire in the forest and arranged their marriage there. He himself performed the kanyadaan and gave sugar as a wedding offering. This marked the beginning of the festival of Lohri. Even today, the folk songs sung during Lohri invariably mention Dulla Bhatti. The festival of Lohri is celebrated to remember the sacrifice and bravery of Dulla Bhatti.
Former municipal councillor of Karol Bagh, Mandeep Kaur Bakshi, believes that Lohri should be celebrated for every child born in the family, without differentiating between a boy and a girl. She said that even our Gurus taught us to give girls the same respect as boys. Looking at today’s world, girls are no less than boys in any field. It is also seen that daughters often serve and care for their parents even more than sons do. A girl plays an important role in keeping the family united—as a daughter, sister, wife, and mother-in-law. Therefore, families that still discriminate should remove this misconception and feel the same happiness and pride at the birth of a daughter as they do at the birth of a son.
Along with Lohri, the festival of Maghi also holds equal importance for the Sikh community. Maghi, which falls on the day immediately after Lohri, reminds us of the Forty Liberated Ones (Chali Mukte). These were the warriors who had once deserted Guru Gobind Singh Ji after signing a disclaimer. When they returned home, their wives handed them bangles, making them realize their mistake. Ashamed, they immediately went back to Guru Sahib. Guru Ji tore up the disclaimer and accepted them again. These forty liberated ones then fought alongside Guru Ji against the enemies until their last breath and attained martyrdom.
