Lohri is a festival of joy and lights, mainly celebrated in Punjab as the end of the winter season, and to welcome the summers, the festival is celebrated a day before Makar Sankranti. This year Lohri will be on 13th January. This day is also auspicious for newly married couples or those who have a new baby in their house.
The festival is celebrated by having a huge bonfire in the evening where all the family of neighbors comes together and take parikrama, offering maize grains, revdi, peanuts, corns, sesame seeds, etc into the burning fire. But apart from dancing and bonfire, the festival is also celebrated with many delicious dishes, and here are some of the special Punjabi dishes that are made at this festival as per rituals.
Sarson ka SaagSarson ka saag and spices such as ginger and garlic. It is often served with makki di roti. Sarhon da saag and makki di roti are closely associated with Punjab and are considered a special dish in entire North India.
GajakGajak is a mouth-watering dessert of Punjab and also served on Lohri, the dish is been prepared with jaggery, peanuts, and sesame seeds. There are varieties of gajak such as gud-til gajak, til-rewari gajak, khas gajak and til-mawa gajak.
Til BhuggaAccording to traditional beliefs, the word Lohri comes from the word ‘Tilohri’ i.e. ‘til’ (sesame) and ‘rorhi’ (gur). However, Til Bhugga is the main ingredient in many dishes and sweets made during this festival.
Pinni Ke LaddooPinni Ke Laddoo is a special laddoo that is made on Lohri. This Laddoo is prepared with wheat flour, dry fruits, dry grated coconut, lots of clarified butter, almonds, and edible gum.