Music, kite-flying, bonfires add festive spirit to Lohri celebrations across Ludhiana

The absence of a bright sun on Lohri on Tuesday played a spoilsport for those keen on flying kites to celebrate the festival in the morning.

Youngsters and children, who had made bulk purchases of kites and strings, waited for long to begin kite-flying but foggy weather and a chill in the air dampened their spirits. The early morning temperature around 7 am hovered at 4°C. By 11 am, the temperature rose to 8°C but conditions still did not support kite-flying.

However, during noon, people started gathering at rooftops to start enjoying the festival, though the sun played hide-and-seek. Youngsters flew kites, some danced to the tunes of Punjabi songs while others enjoyed eatables to celebrate the festival.

There were many children who were not able to fly kites due to fog in the morning.

Eleven-year-old Yadhuraj Pathak said he stayed awake till 3 am preparing strings for nearly 25 kites, which he had planned to fly with his friends. However, due to moisture in the air and the lack of sunshine, the kites could not be flown and kept getting wet. “I am disappointed as I spent over Rs 2,000 on kites bearing pictures of Chhota Bheem, Sidhu Moosewala, Mr Bean and others,” he said.

Residents, especially youngsters and children, in areas such as Chaura Bazaar, Chawni Mohalla, Field Ganj, Roopa Mistri Gali, Daresi and near Khud Mohalla, were seen on their rooftops with music systems and eateries, trying to fly kites.

Sarabjit Singh Bunty from Chawni Mohalla said though it was not a usual bright sunny day for Lohri, they had made all arrangements to make the day special. “We have arranged a music system and friends are here to celebrate Lohri on Punjabi beats,” he said. With loud music being played in city areas, residents seen struggling to fly kites in tough cold conditions.

At the same time, residents were enthusiastic about celebrating Lohri and made last-minute purchases of coal, wood, rewri, gajak and peanuts to light bonfires. Shops selling these items opened early in the morning so that buyers did not return disappointed.

Ram Saran, who works at a godown selling coal and wood, said such items were selling like hot cakes. “We have to add more stock daily to meet the demand as days are extremely cold and people want to light bonfires to keep themselves warm,” he said.

Dholis were seen moving across city areas. To celebrate the Lohri of newly-wed couples and newborn babies, special celebrations were held at many places during the daytime and evening. Traditional Lohri songs such as “De mai Lohri, jeeve teri jodi, khol mai kunda, jeeve tera munda” echoed as relatives and friends joined the festivities.

Meanwhile, the underprivileged were seen keeping themselves warm by burning trash and wood along roadsides. “For us, it is Lohri every day as we light bonfires to keep ourselves warm in the biting cold weather,” said Vijay Das, a daily wager.