LAHORE: A winter bonfire flickered against the January cold in Pakistan’s cultural capital as Lohri was marked with song, dance, and quiet reflection on Punjab’s agrarian roots, drawing together people across generations and communities.
Held in the eastern Pakistani city of Lahore, the celebration centered on harvest traditions tied to the rural rhythms of the land. Bonfires burned late into the evening, symbolizing the close of winter and the hope of renewal, while Punjabi folk music filled the air.
The event, organized by the Punjab Institute of Language, Art and Culture (PILAC), brought together artists, officials, and citizens, underscoring a growing emphasis on culture as a form of social cohesion. Punjab’s Education Minister Rana Sikandar Hayat was among those in attendance.
Around the fire, participants danced to traditional rhythms as women and girls performed luddi and giddha on a brightly lit stage. The scene evoked memories of village courtyards and post-harvest gatherings once common across rural Punjab.
For many, Lohri remains an emotional link to the land. Speaking to Pakistan TV Digital, Paramjit Singh Munder, originally from eastern Punjab and now living in the United States, said festivals play a vital role in preserving identity.
“Originally, I am from eastern Punjab, but now it’s been 30 years since I have been living in America,” he said. “Any festival is a nation’s life and soul. When we celebrate the festival, we stay connected to our roots.”
Peace activist Diep Saeeda described the gathering as a sign of cultural maturity. “Pakistan has now realized that the path towards peace and prosperity is through celebration,” she told Pakistan TV Digital.
Referring to recent public festivities in Lahore, she added that such moments “bring happiness to many hearts”.
She emphasized Lohri’s connection to the soil rather than belief.
“Lohri is not linked to religion. It belongs to every Punjabi born on this land, whose parents worked this soil,” she said. “First Lohri comes, then Holi, and after that Baisakhi follows. These celebrations should be held because they remind us who we are.”
Traditionally observed after the sugarcane harvest, Lohri marks the end of the Punjabi month of Poh and the beginning of Magh. Families and neighbors would gather around a fire, sharing winter produce such as jaggery, sesame seeds, and nuts, while folk songs celebrated labor, survival, and gratitude.
Folk memory also ties the festival to Dulla Bhatti, a legendary Punjabi figure remembered for standing up to injustice during the Mughal era. Songs sung around Lohri fires continue to honor ideals of courage and protection of the vulnerable.
As Lahore modernizes at a pace, the celebration offered a pause. A return to shared memories of harvests, village fires, and communal life. In the glow of the bonfire, distinctions of class and background faded, replaced by a collective sense of belonging.
More than a seasonal festivity, Lohri in Lahore served as a reminder that culture rooted in the land can still unite people, linking past and present through music, memory, and the enduring language of the harvest.
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