Lohri: The Festival Of Harvest, Know Its History And Significance

The festival of Lohri, also widely known as the festival of harvest. It is celebrated every year during the beginning of a new year, in the first month of January. Lohri is one of the most vibrant and culturally rich festivals of India, widely known as the festival of harvest. 

Celebrated with immense joy and enthusiasm, Lohri marks the end of winter and the arrival of longer days. This traditional festival holds special importance in North India, especially in Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, and parts of Delhi.

Observed every year in January, Lohri symbolizes prosperity, gratitude, and new beginnings. From lighting sacred bonfires to enjoying traditional foods, the festival brings families and communities together. Read on to know everything about Lohri 2026 date, shubh muhurat, puja vidhi, food, history, and significance.

Lohri 2026 Date and Auspicious Time, Muhurat

Lohri is celebrated every year just one day before Makar Sankranti. Makar Sankranti falls on 14th of January. This year as well, it will be celebrated on 13th January 2026. The auspicious time, also called as Muhurat, will be from 7:25pm to 9:13pm for the celebration of the festival of harvest, Lohri. The auspicious time for intersection of Lohri Sankranti moment will be at 3:13pm on 14th January 2026.

Lohri is celebrated every year one day before Makar Sankranti, making it a significant festival that ushers in the transition of the Sun into the zodiac sign Capricorn. While Makar Sankranti falls on 14 January, Lohri is observed on 13 January every year.

• Lohri 2026 Date: Tuesday, 13 January 2026
• Lohri 2026 Auspicious Muhurat, Shubh Muhurat
• Lohri Puja Muhurat: 7:25 pm to 9:13 pm
• Lohri Sankranti Moment: 3:13 pm on 14 January 2026

Performing rituals during the auspicious muhurat is believed to bring good health, happiness, and prosperity to the household.

Lohri 2026 Puja Vidhi: Rituals and Worship Method

Firstly, gather a lot of wood sticks and the cow dung cakes and assemble it in a circular area. Then sprinkle holy water, that is gangajal, onto the wood sticks. Next up, do the aarti of the wood sticks by offering turmeric, kumkum, tika, rice grains, to the wood sticks. After aarti or puja or worshipping the wood sticks, light a sacred fire. Then, everyone moves around the sacred fire in an anti clockwise direction. Further, everyone thanks the Fire God and asks for their wellness, good health and prosperity. 

Th puja vidhi or method of this festival is simple yet deeply spiritual, centered around the sacred bonfire, which represents the Fire God, also known as the Agni Dev.

1. Begin by collecting wood sticks and cow dung cakes and arranging them in a circular space.
2. Sprinkle holy water, also known as Gangajal, over the arranged wood as a purification ritual.
3. Perform aarti by offering turmeric, kumkum, rice grains, and tika to the wood stack.
4. Light the sacred fire and pray for well-being, prosperity, and good harvest.
5. Family members and devotees circumambulate the bonfire in an anti-clockwise direction.
6. Offer prayers to Agni Dev, thanking him for abundance and seeking blessings for the coming year.

This ritual signifies the burning away of negativity and the welcoming of positivity and success.

Lohri 2026 Food and Prasad

In the festival of Lohri, foods and prasad are firstly offered to God and then to everyone else. Foods and prasad offered in this festival includes sesame seeds, also known as til, jaggery sweets like rewari and gajak, peanuts and popcorn. Food plays a vital role in this festival celebrations and reflects the agricultural roots of the festival. All items are first offered to the sacred fire and then distributed as prasad.

Traditional Lohri Food includes: Sesame seeds, also known as Til, Jaggery, also known as Gur, Rewari, Gajak, Peanuts and Popcorn.These ingredients are rich in warmth and energy, making them ideal for the winter season and symbolizing sweetness, unity, and abundance.

Lohri 2026 Celebrations in Punjab

In the state of Punjab, there are cities such as Amritsar, Ludhiana, Patiala, these cities host a really grand feast for the celebration of the festival of Lohri. Punjab celebrates this festival with unmatched enthusiasm and grandeur. Cities like Amritsar, Ludhiana, and Patiala witness large community gatherings, folk performances, and traditional feasts.

People dress in colorful Punjabi attire and perform energetic dances such as Bhangra and Gidda around the bonfire. The night resonates with folk songs, dhol beats, laughter, and joy, making this festival a truly unforgettable cultural experience.

Lohri Bonfire: The Heart of Celebrations

After worshipping while circumbulating around the wood sticks lit by a sacred fire, everyone then roams around the bonfire, meanwhile enjoying themselves by singing and dancing around it. This festival bonfire is the focal point of the festival. After completing the puja, people gather around the fire, sing traditional this festival songs, and dance with excitement. Children, elders, friends, and neighbors come together, strengthening social bonds. The bonfire represents warmth, life energy, and the Sun’s power, reinforcing the spiritual essence of the festival.

Lohri History and Origin

This festival is the celebration of the arrival of longer days after the winter solstice. In ancient times, this festival was celebrated at the end of the traditional month when winter solstice occurs. It celebrates the days getting longer as the sun proceeds on its northward journey. 

Historically, this festival marks the end of the winter solstice and the beginning of longer days. In ancient times, it was celebrated at the end of the traditional winter month, acknowledging the Sun’s northward journey, also known as Uttarayan.

This festival has been celebrated for centuries as a way to honor nature, agriculture, and the Sun God, whose movement ensures fertile lands and successful harvests.

Why Lohri Is Celebrated in India

Lohri is celebrated in India, specifically in the Northern part of India. This is regarded as a harvest festival marking the end of winter and the winter solstice, welcoming longer days and the sun’s northward journey. With bonfires, folk dances and traditional foods which symbolizes gratitude for the rabi crop harvests and new beginnings.

This festival is primarily celebrated in North India as a harvest festival marking the end of winter and welcoming longer, warmer days. It symbolizes gratitude for a successful rabi crop harvest and hopes for prosperity in the coming agricultural cycle. With its bonfires, folk dances, rituals, and traditional foods, this festival celebrates life, abundance, and new beginnings, making it one of India’s most cherished seasonal festivals.

Read More: Why Is Makar Sankranti Celebrated? Meaning, History, Significance & Traditions