Lohri
The harvest bonfire of Punjab
Significance
Marks the end of the winter sowing and the lengthening of days. First Lohri after a wedding or a child's birth is a major family celebration.
Families gather around a bonfire at dusk, throwing in sesame seeds, jaggery, popcorn and groundnuts while circling it. Bhangra dhol picks up, Dulla Bhatti folk tales are sung, and revdis (sesame-jaggery brittle) are shared across neighbourhoods.
First-time visitor
Join a village family via a homestay — you'll go from dhol circle to langar-style dinner in one evening.
What to see
- Lighting the community bonfire at sunset
- Throwing sesame, jaggery, rewri into the flames
- Bhangra and Gidda circles around the fire
- Singing of Dulla Bhatti legend
Festival foods
Best for
Travel tips
- 1Village celebrations are richer than urban ones
- 2Pack layers — Punjab nights in January are sub-10°C
- 3Visit the Golden Temple the morning after for the Palki Sahib
Never miss a festival
Want to hear about every event in Punjab?
Subscribe to Punjab or to the full Seasonal category — we'll nudge you at 90, 30, 7 and 1 days before each begins. Tune it off anytime from the bell in the header.
Explore Further
Linked places, stories and categories
Linked destination
Golden Temple
Punjab
Also known as Harmandir Sahib, it is the preeminent spiritual site of Sikhism.
Visit pageMore festivals
Festival calendar — Punjab
Every cultural event we track in Punjab, sorted by date.
Browse by statePlaces
All destinations in Punjab
Curated places, rituals and hidden gems across the state.
Explore PunjabCategory
More seasonal festivals
Every seasonal event across India in one list.
See all SeasonalFrom the YatraJunction journal
Punjab · 10 min read
Amritsar’s Golden Temple: Langar, Faith and the World’s Largest Free Kitchen
Every day, 100,000 people sit on the marble floor of the Harmandir Sahib and eat the same meal — for free. The story of the Golden Temple is a story about what India does when it decides that no one should go hungry.

Uttar Pradesh · 10 min read
Holi in Mathura: Where Krishna’s Colour Still Lingers
Forty days of flower-fights, turmeric, and divine mischief in the twin towns where Lord Krishna was born and fell in love. The most ancient Holi on earth.

Nagaland · 9 min read
Kohima's Hornbill Festival: Ten Days With 17 Naga Tribes
Feathered headdresses, mithun-horn drinking cups, war dances around bonfires — how a government cultural showcase became India's most authentic tribal festival, and the WW2 battlefield that sits one kilometre away.
Questions & Answers
About Lohri
Lohri 2027 is scheduled for 13 Jan 2027. That's 264 days from today.
You may also like
More festivals in Punjab
