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Lohri, which is celebrated the day before Makar Sankranti, is an important festival in Punjab and Haryana since it marks the end of winter and the arrival of longer days.
Traditions such as exchanging jaggery and sesame sweets, humming folk songs beside flickering bonfires, and kids scurrying from house to house in search of 'Lohri' tend to bring neighbours and communities together. Actors Vikram Kochhar, Pankaj Berry and Sohaila Kapur have shared their favourite memories of the harvest festival, Lohri. For Vikram Kochhar, who appeared in the Shah Rukh Khan starrer 'Dunki,', Lohri represents new beginnings and the harvest season. He recalled his beautiful memories of Lohri, saying, "In my family, we all celebrate Lohri with great happiness. We collect wood for the bonfire, make popcorn, sing, and enjoy music, and there is a general air of festivity in our home. Lohri is a big part of the Punjabi cultural experience." He also gave a message to his fans on Lohri, saying, "This is a festival of happiness that everyone should come together to celebrate, keeping aside unnecessary quarrels and arguments." For veteran actor Pankaj Berry, who plays a complex character in Zee Theatre's psychological thriller 'Antardwand', Lohri is a time of great nostalgia. He shared, "During Lohri celebrations, my mom used to light the bonfire and we would gather to enjoy various treats like peanuts, jaggery-based sweets and sesame seed laddoos. When we threw sesame seeds and flowers into the fire, my mom would say, 'May our sins be absorbed by the sesame seeds and the flowers.'" Berry recalls travelling from home to home, asking for Lohri with other children and singing 'Sunder mundriye ho' and recalled, "It was a delightful time filled with warmth, shared joy, and unity. In our neighbourhood, some people used to give us 25 paise, while some used to give us 50 paise. There was also a Muslim family that would warmly welcome us and give us Lohri with great affection." Sohaila Kapur, whose family has strong Punjabi origins on both sides of the border, also has very fond memories of the festival. She said, "As a Punjabi living in Delhi, Lohri is a very important festival for me and I have grown up with it. We usually visit relatives and light the bonfire and I remember enjoying it thoroughly as a child and 'feeding' the fire with peanuts and 'revaries'. One of my fondest memories is visiting my Masi's House on Lohri and dancing around the fire. To me, the festival represents a time of family togetherness." The actor who starred in Zee Theatre's teleplay, 'Where Did I Leave My Purdah' connected the festival with the onset of spring and said, "After the cold Delhi winter, everybody looks forward to 'Lohri'. Festivals like this also bring communities together, help us to enjoy each other's company as human beings, shed antagonis, and envision a beautiful world." Lohri is usually celebrated on the 13th of January every year. (ANI)
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