Celebration of different festivals in India

Lohri is also known as the “Bonfire Festival of Punjab” which is celebrated on 13^th January every year. It is a very important festival of Punjab. It honours the harvest of rabi crops and marks the end of the winter season. The people light up a bonfire and throw offerings such as popcorn, til, and jaggery sweets along with peanuts in a way to thank the god and make a wish. During this period, people play traditional songs and they do dances like bhangra and giddha with the dhol rhythm. The foods that are mostly eaten during this festival are makki ki roti, sarson ka saag, gajak, rewari, and til ladoos.

Some children burst firecrackers and also buy new clothes. It is an official holiday in Punjab, Jammu, and Himachal Pradesh. The date of Lohri changes every 70 years. In the 19^th century Lohri used to fall on 11^th January. In the 20^th century, it used to fall on 12^th or 13^th January. In the 21^st centur,y it used to fall on 13^th or 14^th January. In 2024, it was on 14^th January, as Makar Sankranti was on 15^th January.

Now I will give you some information about Makar Sankranti. Makar Sankranti is also known as the “Festival of Kites,” which was celebrated on 15^th January 2024. On this day, people and children wear new clothes and also fly kites. This occasion is famous all over India. Some observers go to sacred rivers and lakes to bathe in a ceremony of thanks to the sun. Some people also go to the Kumbh Mela, one of the largest mela in India.

There are many fun activities in the mela, such as swings for kids, rides, and roller coasters for teenagers. There are also some snacks to eat there if anyone is hungry, such as popcorn, chips, juice, cotton candy, etc. An estimate of 60 to 100 million people come to visit the mela and enjoy the fun. People bathe at the Prayagraj confluence of the river Ganga and river Yamuna and say a prayer to the sun. It is a time of celebrations and Thanksgiving, and is marked by a variety of rituals and traditions.

Makar Sankranti is set by the solar cycle and corresponds to the exact time astronomical event of the sun entering Capricorn and is observed on a day that usually falls on 14^th January of the Gregorian calendar but on 15^th January in leap years. The festival is dedicated to the Hindu religious sun god Surya. The significance of Surya is traceable to the Vedic texts, particularly the Gayatri Mantra, a sacred hymn of Hinduism found in its scripture named the Rigveda. Last but not least, this was some description and details about the essence of celebrating Lohri and Makar Sankranti.