Every year on 13 January, families and villages across Punjab and nearby regions gather around a glowing bonfire to celebrate Lohri. At first glance, it appears to be a simple winter harvest festival. People offer peanuts, jaggery, and sesame seeds, sing folk songs, and welcome the slow return of longer days. Yet at the heart of this celebration lives the memory of Dulla Bhatti, a man whose story has shaped the meaning of Lohri for generations.

While agriculture gives Lohri its seasonal rhythm, folk memory gives it its soul. According to popular legend, Dulla Bhatti lived during the Mughal period and refused to accept imperial control over his region. Over time, his real history blended with folklore, turning him into a symbol of resistance, local pride, and compassion for the poor. Stories describe him as a protector of young women and a man who stood against injustice when others remained silent.

Dulla Bhatti’s legacy survives most strongly through a traditional Lohri folk song that echoes around bonfires every year, especially in children’s voices:

Sundar mundriye ho!
Tera kaun vichara ho!
Dulla Bhatti wala ho!
Dulle di dhee viyahi ho!
Ser shakar paayi ho!

In simple terms, the song praises Dulla Bhatti as the guardian of Sundri and Mundri. It celebrates his role in arranging their marriages and blessing them with gifts like sugar and sweets. When children sing these lines and go from house to house collecting treats, they are not merely asking for food. They are keeping alive the memory of a man associated with bravery, kindness, and justice.

Today, many people may not know the historical details of Dulla Bhatti’s life. Even so, his name remains powerful. Through Lohri songs, children learn moral values in a form that is easy to remember, while adults are reminded that festivals are about more than celebration alone. They are also about passing down stories that define community ideals.

The fire of Lohri may burn for only one evening, but the story of Dulla Bhatti keeps its meaning alive year after year. Through him, Lohri becomes more than a harvest festival. It becomes a reminder that courage, generosity, and care for others can turn a season of cold into a moment of hope. With this, we wish you a very Happy Lohri.