Hindu · Punjab

Lohri 2026 लोहड़ी

The Punjabi Bonfire Festival of Winter

Tuesday, 13 January 2026

Lohri is a Punjabi winter festival of bonfires, folk songs and sweets of til and gur, held on the night before Makar Sankranti to mark the end of the coldest days.

How the date is fixed: Night before Makar Sankranti, on the last day of the solar month of Paush; usually 13 January

Why Lohri is celebrated

Lohri marks the turning point of the North Indian winter. After this night the days grow longer, the cold slowly loosens its grip and farmers look ahead to a good wheat crop. For a farming society, the bonfire is a thank you to the sun and to fire, the two forces that keep people and fields alive through the cold months.

Today the festival is as much about family as farming. A household celebrating the first Lohri of a newborn child or a newly married couple invites relatives and neighbours, distributes sweets and holds a bigger bonfire. Many families now celebrate the birth of a daughter in the same way, which reflects a welcome change in social thinking.

History and story of Lohri

Nobody knows exactly when Lohri began, but it is an old seasonal festival of the Punjab plains, linked to the winter solstice period and the solar month of Paush coming to an end. Several explanations are offered for the name. One says it comes from "til" and "rorhi" (sesame and jaggery), the two items thrown into the fire. Another connects it with "loh", the large iron griddle used for baking rotis at community gatherings.

The best known folk story is about Dulla Bhatti, a rebel who lived in Punjab during Akbar's reign. According to tradition, he rescued girls who were being sold or carried away, arranged their marriages and gave them dowry from his own pocket. The popular Lohri song "Sundar mundriye" remembers him as the protector of a poor girl named Sundri. Children still sing it while going from house to house on Lohri evening.

How Lohri is celebrated

Preparations start in the afternoon. Children go around the neighbourhood singing Lohri songs and collect money, peanuts, rewari and gur as gifts. In the evening, wood and dried cow dung cakes are piled in an open courtyard or street corner and lit after sunset.

Family members walk around the fire, offering til, gur, rewari, gajak, popcorn and peanuts into the flames and praying for plenty in the coming year. The same items are then shared as prasad. Men dance bhangra and women dance gidda to the beat of the dhol. Dinner is usually sarson da saag with makki di roti, followed by rice cooked in sugarcane juice (rau di kheer) in some homes. Young couples and parents of a newborn wear new clothes and receive gifts.

Important days and moments

Lohri song rounds (Afternoon of 13 January 2026 (Tuesday))
Groups of children visit homes singing traditional Lohri songs, including the verses about Dulla Bhatti, and receive peanuts, rewari, sweets or small amounts of money.
Lohri bonfire (After sunset on 13 January)
Families light a bonfire, circle it, and offer til, gur, popcorn and peanuts to the fire before sharing them as prasad.
First Lohri celebration (Same evening)
Homes with a newborn child or a newly married couple host a larger gathering with dhol, bhangra, gidda and gifts for the family.
Maghi and Makar Sankranti (14 January 2026)
The next morning begins the month of Magh. Sikhs observe Maghi and many Hindus take a holy dip for Makar Sankranti.

Lohri across India

Lohri is strongest in Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Jammu and the lower hills of Himachal Pradesh. In Jammu, boys perform the chajja dance carrying a decorated model of a peacock.

In Uttarakhand, Lohri bonfires are common among Punjabi and Sikh families in Dehradun and in the Terai belt of Udham Singh Nagar. The hill communities celebrate the next day instead, as Makar Sankranti, Uttarayani and Ghughutiya in Kumaon.

Other names and related festivals

Lal Loi
Lohadi

Makar Sankranti 14 Jan 2026
Pongal 14 Jan 2026
Magh Bihu 14 Jan 2026

Frequently asked questions

When is Lohri in 2026?

Lohri falls on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.

Is Lohri a bank holiday?

Lohri is not a bank holiday in any of the states covered here in 2026, so banks stay open unless the day is a Sunday or a second or fourth Saturday.

Which state governments close for Lohri?

State government offices close for Lohri in Jammu and Kashmir in 2026. Pick your state below for its full holiday list.

Where is Lohri a restricted holiday?

Lohri is a restricted (optional) holiday for state government employees in Rajasthan and Punjab in 2026: employees may take it off, but offices stay open.

Is Lohri a central government holiday?

No. Lohri is not a holiday for central government offices in 2026.

Is the stock market closed on Lohri?

No. Lohri is not a trading holiday on NSE and BSE in 2026.

What are the other names of Lohri?

Lohri is also known as Lal Loi, Lohadi.

Why is Lohri celebrated?

Lohri marks the end of peak winter and the start of longer days. Farmers thank the sun and fire for warmth and pray for a good rabi harvest, especially wheat.

Who was Dulla Bhatti?

Dulla Bhatti was a Punjabi rebel of Akbar's time. Folk tradition remembers him for saving young girls from being sold and arranging their marriages, which is why Lohri songs still praise him.

What is offered to the Lohri fire?

People offer sesame seeds, jaggery, rewari, gajak, popcorn and peanuts. These items are also shared among family and guests as prasad.

What is first Lohri?

It is the first Lohri after a wedding or the birth of a child in the family. The family holds a bigger celebration with relatives, music and gifts.