From fire to flower: A festival for every heart

Ask anyone in India what their favourite festival is, and you'll rarely get the same answer twice.

- -RUDRANI SANYAL -

For some, it's the crackle of a Lohri bonfire in Punjab; for others, it's the sharing of sweet Pongal in Tamil Nadu. For me, being Bengali, it will always be Durga Puja— but for someone else, it could be Onam, Diwali, or something entirely different. So many answers, so many perspectives, so many ways people celebrate life. It is this diversity, this richness of experience, that makes our culture endlessly fascinating and full of surprises.

Our festivals are many things at once — harvest rituals, myths retold, acts of devotion, or simply excuses to come together and celebrate. Some take place in grand temples with music and lights, while others occur in small villages where traditions have been quietly passed down for centuries. Each carries the heartbeat of a community, whether tribal, rural, or urban, and together they weave the vast tapestry of India's diversity.

Lohri, celebrated around 13 January, marks the northward journey of the sun, signalling longer days and the promise of new growth. In Punjab, families gather around blazing bonfires, singing traditional songs and dancing the bhangra and giddha. Children go from house to house collecting contributions for the fire, while families share festive foods — sarson ka saag with makki ki roti, sweet sugarcane kheer, gajak, phully, peanuts, and sugarcane sticks. Lohri is not just a festival; it is a ritual of warmth, togetherness, and thanksgiving for the harvest.