The Lohri festival, celebrated with bonfires in January, is mainly associated with which state?

Lohri is a popular winter festival of Punjab, also celebrated in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Delhi. It is celebrated every year on 13 January, the night before Makar Sankranti (called Maghi in Punjab), and it marks the end of the coldest part of winter and the harvest of the rabi crops, especially sugarcane.

The central feature of Lohri is a large bonfire, lit in the evening in the courtyards of homes and in open spaces. Families and friends gather around the fire, walk around it, and throw sesame seeds (til), puffed rice, popcorn, peanuts and sweets into it as offerings to the fire god (Agni), praying for prosperity and a good harvest. People eat traditional foods such as rewri, gajak, peanuts, popcorn, sarson da saag and makki di roti. They sing folk songs and perform Bhangra and Giddha to the beat of the dhol.

Lohri is especially important for families celebrating a happy event, such as the birth of a child or a marriage, and the first Lohri of a newborn baby or a new bride is celebrated with great joy. Before Lohri, children go from house to house, singing traditional songs and collecting sweets, money and firewood. Many of these songs tell the story of Dulla Bhatti, a Punjabi folk hero of the time of Emperor Akbar, who is remembered for rescuing poor girls from being sold and arranging their marriages.

Other harvest festivals celebrated around the same time in India include Makar Sankranti, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Bhogali Bihu in Assam and Uttarayan in Gujarat.

Why not the other options?

• ✗Kerala celebrates Onam as its harvest festival.
• ✗Assam celebrates Bhogali (Magh) Bihu at the same time of year.
• ✗Gujarat celebrates Uttarayan with kite flying in January.