Amritsar’s humble ‘Khajoor’ makes Lohri special

Neha Walia

Amritsar, January 11

The quintessential Punjabi festival of Lohri is around the corner and it is all about dhol beats, bonfire and sweet delicacies of which ‘Khajoor’ stands out. A day spent in roof-top kite-flying competition and savouring the deep fried, sweet flavoured khajoor, are two favourite things to do on the day of Lohri.

Made only for the festival and available in the city, Khajoor, a humble pastry that has little to do with dates, is made with flour, ghee, sugar and deep frying in oil and is something to look forward to during Lohri. These come at the rate of Rs 300 to Rs 700 per kg, depending on the oil used in their preparation, with the ghee-fried ones costing more. They are a part of traditional delicacies for the festival. The sweet is available in the local markets from the last week of December onward till the time of Lohri, making it a novelty for the local residents. With winter at its peak, it is surely catching the eyes of a lot of visitors. Moist on the inside and crisp on the outside, Khajoor’s exclusivity to the holy city over the years has made it popular among tourists, who visit Amritsar during the winter. It is also a favourite among NRI visitors.

Other counterparts like ‘til bhugga’ (white sesame seed sweet), ‘rewaris’, peanuts and stacks of dry fruit-filled jaggery too are worth drooling over. Keeping up with the festive spirit and tradition, most citizens stick to community Lohri bonfires around the city.

Since Lohri is followed by another winter festival Maghi or Makar Sankranti, every household prepares kheer made from sugarcane, jaggery, rice and nuts and dal-khichdi, which is consumed on Maghi. Other festive food items on Lohri include sarson ka saag and makki ki roti. Maghi or Makar Sankranti is celebrated with people visiting shrines and taking a holy dip to pray for new beginnings.