Lohri 2027
लोहड़ीLohri is Punjab's winter harvest festival on the eve of Makar Sankranti, celebrated around a bonfire with til, jaggery, rewri, folk songs and dance.
Next: Thursday, 14 January 2027
Quick answer
Lohri 2027 falls on Thursday, 14 January 2027 (Eve of Makar Sankranti). In 2026 it fell on Tuesday, 13 January 2026.
Dates follow the Delhi panchang and can shift by a day in your region, so confirm the muhurat with a local panchang.
Lohri 2027 falls on Thursday, 14 January, the night before Makar Sankranti. It is the great winter festival of Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu, celebrated around a bonfire with offerings of sesame, jaggery, peanuts and popcorn, folk songs and the bhangra and giddha dances. It marks the end of the coldest nights of winter and the ripening of the rabi harvest, and it honours Agni, the sacred fire, and Surya, the Sun.
Lohri 2027 date
Lohri is held on the eve of the Sun’s entry into Makara. In 2027 that is Thursday, 14 January 2027; in 2026 it was Tuesday, 13 January. The bonfire is lit after sunset.
Why Lohri is celebrated
Lohri is first a harvest festival. By mid-January the winter wheat stands green in the fields and sugarcane is cut, so farming families gather to thank the fire and the Sun for warmth and growth. The bonfire is treated as a sacred fire: grain and sweets offered into it are offerings to Agni, a practice that echoes the Vedic idea of the fire carrying gifts to the gods.
The best-loved Lohri songs remember Dulla Bhatti, a folk hero of Punjab in the Mughal era who, the songs say, rescued girls from being sold and arranged their marriages. The song “Sundar mundriye ho!” is sung for him as children go from house to house collecting sweets. This story belongs to Punjabi folk tradition rather than scripture, but it gives the festival its warm, protective spirit.
How Lohri is celebrated
- The bonfire: families and neighbours circle the fire, offering til, gur, rewri, gajak, peanuts and popcorn into the flames.
- Folk songs and dance: Dulla Bhatti songs, bhangra and giddha around the fire.
- Children’s rounds: children visit homes singing Lohri songs and receive sweets and coins.
- First Lohri: a newborn’s or a new bride’s first Lohri is celebrated with special joy and gifts.
- Food: sarson da saag with makki di roti, and rice cooked in sugarcane juice (rau di kheer).
The meaning of Lohri
Lohri gathers a community around one fire at the darkest point of winter to give thanks and share. It looks ahead to longer days, a full harvest and the sweetness of Makar Sankranti the next morning. See the full year on the Hindu festival calendar.
Frequently asked questions
When is Lohri in 2027?
Lohri 2027 is on Thursday, 14 January, the evening before Makar Sankranti.
Why is Lohri celebrated?
It is a harvest festival that thanks Agni and the Sun for warmth and the rabi crop, marking the end of the coldest winter nights.
What is offered in the Lohri bonfire?
Til, jaggery, rewri, gajak, peanuts and popcorn are offered into the fire.
Sources and further reading
- Hindu festival dates 2026 (Samvat panchang calendar)
- Hindu festival dates 2027 (Samvat panchang calendar)
Read our editorial policy on how scripture, Purana and folk tradition are labelled.
