LOHRI: SIGNIFICANCE AND ODE

LOHRI: SIGNIFICANCE AND ODE

SIGNIFICANCE OF LOHRI FESTIVAL OF PUNJAB

The spiritual significance of the Lohri festival is rooted in honoring the Goddess of Fire - Devi Agni. In the North, Lohri is celebrated to show gratitude for the fertility of the earth and women, as well as the warmth provided by fire and the Sun that sustains life.

Rural communities and farmers celebrate the fruits of their labor and the abundance of the harvest by lighting fires, singing, and dancing. Below are a few haikus that capture the principles of honoring and worshipping Goddess Agni in connection with Lohri.

ODE TO BONFIRE ON LOHRI

A bonfire glows, a presence pure and bright,

A symbol of all that is clean and true,

With piety and vigor, burning light,

A force that cleanses, making all things new.

Benevolent, the fire's gentle grace,

Agni, the source of warmth and sun's bright ray,

Gives life and being to this earthly place,

And chases shadows of the night away.

We venerate the flames, Agni so bold,

Destroyer of the dark, the foolish lies,

That bind our souls and leave us feeling cold,

Dispelling worldly, false realities.

We offer grains, and fruits of earthly birth,

For in the fire, is heaven on this earth.