Hindu festival · San Francisco Bay Area

Lohri

Why it matters

Lohṛī is the Punjabi midwinter festival held on the night before Makar Saṅkrānti (Maghi). It marks the end of the coldest season and the turn toward longer days, and it celebrates the ripening winter (rabi) crops. Hindus and Sikhs keep it in Punjab and nearby regions, and so does the Punjabi diaspora.

Where it falls

Lohṛī is Punjab's eve-of-Saṅkrānti night, parallel to Bhogi in the South; the next day is Maghi/Makar Saṅkrānti.

The story behind it

The best-known Lohṛī story is about Dullā Bhaṭṭī, a sixteenth-century Punjabi who defied Mughal authority. Folk memory credits him with rescuing girls and arranging the marriages of Sundrī and Mundrī. Historians treat him as a historical figure, but the Lohṛī link belongs to folklore, and several origins for the festival's name are put forward.

Prayers and worship

Lohṛī worship centres on the evening fire. Families and neighbours in Punjab, and in cities such as Delhi, walk around the bonfire with prayers and toss sesame, peanuts, puffed rice and popcorn into it as an offering.

How families keep it

Punjabi families gather around the fire with folk songs, many about Dullā Bhaṭṭī, and with bhangṛā and giddhā. Homes with a new bride or a newborn celebrate with special warmth. In the Bay Area, open burning is generally prohibited, and wood fires, including fire pits, are banned on winter Spare the Air days.

What is typically offered

Til (sesame), gur (jaggery), rewṛī, gajak, peanuts and popcorn or puffed rice are offered into the fire and shared among guests as Lohṛī prasād.

Visiting a temple that day

These festivals often have a strong cultural component alongside temple worship. Food and community programs may be central. Temple practices vary by region and sampradaya. Dress modestly, remove footwear where required, follow priest/volunteer directions, ask before photography, and check the temple’s event page for exact pooja, fasting and prasādam arrangements.

Shared cultural harvest observance. The 2026–27 dates were derived for the Fremont / Bay Area location from standard tithi, nakṣatra and solar-ingress rules. The 2028 date is computed by this site’s own engine from the festival’s standard definition, tested against the 2026–27 dates: 1 day before Makar Sankranti. No 2028 date has been checked against a printed almanac or reviewed by Sri Kumar Gurukkal. They can differ from a calendar computed for another city or another sampradāya. Please confirm any date on which you plan a ceremony with Sri Kumar Gurukkal. How these dates are calculated →