Ep 36: Hindu Festivals - Lohri

Ep 36: Hindu Festivals - Lohri

Author: Hindu Parenting January 12, 2024 Duration: 50:28

The Lohri episode features a conversation around stories and lived experiences from the Punjab area of India. One of our guests is Charu Uppal ji, media scholar and storyteller. You can find her articles at charuuppal.substack.com

The word Lohri comes from Loh which means ‘flame’. As the name suggests, the Lohri tradition involves a bonfire symbolising energy, hope and renewal.

Listen to the beautiful story of Dulla Bhattiwaala and the origin of Lohri. The story lives on in the form of a ballad singing tradition called Vaar.

Listen to the original Punjabi song of Dulla Bhattiwala here.

Here are the lyrics and the English translation of the song.

You can find more songs related to Lohri here.

Many beautiful traditions are slowly going out of fashion as we adopt a uniform Halloween-type culture these days. Watch the folk tradition of going from house to house singing songs and collecting treats.

Our festival podcasts bring out the cultural unity of Bharat (India). Lohri as celebrated in Punjab has an amazing similarity with Bhogi celebrated in the Southern Telugu states, which we covered last year during Makara Sankranti.

Listen to our Bhogi/Sankranti podcast from last year here.

Please listen to the podcasts, watch the video links and involve your children in the celebrations so that we can keep our diverse festivals and traditions alive!

Note: If you find our work valuable, please consider making a contribution. It will help us cover the costs of reaching many more Hindu parents. If you live in India, please write to contact@hinduparenting.org to get the QR code. All others outside India can use the substack platform (through Stripe).

General Information:

For questions that you’d like us to address, please use the form below:

Hindu Parenting Questions

For comments and podcast suggestions, please use the comments tab or write to us at contact@hinduparenting.org

Please note that questions will not be answered on email.

Do subscribe to our Substack and follow our social media handles:

Twitter: hinduparenting

Instagram: hinduparenting

Telegram: t.me/hinduparenting

Threads: hinduparenting

Facebook: facebook.com/hinduparenting

Facebook group: facebook.com/groups/hinduparenting

Koo: hinduparenting

The opinions expressed by guests on The Hindu Parenting Podcast are their personal opinions and Hindu Parenting does not assume any responsibility or liability for the accuracy, completeness, suitability or validity of anything shared on our platform by them.

Copyright belongs to Hindu Parenting.



Get full access to Hindu Parenting at hinduparenting.substack.com/subscribe

Finding your footing as a parent within a rich cultural tradition can feel both deeply meaningful and surprisingly complex. The Hindu Parenting Podcast sits with you in that space, offering thoughtful conversations that go beyond simple advice. Each episode explores the everyday realities of raising children while consciously nurturing their connection to Hindu values, philosophy, and heritage. You’ll hear from parents, educators, and community members sharing their personal journeys, practical challenges, and small victories. The discussions might cover how to naturally introduce concepts like dharma or seva into family life, navigate festivals and stories in a modern context, or foster a genuine sense of identity and belonging. This isn’t about dogma, but about building a thoughtful, resilient framework for your family. Hosted by Hindu Parenting, the podcast serves as a companion for those wanting to raise informed, grounded children who feel a sense of pride and continuity as part of a living civilization. Tune in for authentic dialogue that acknowledges the questions as much as it seeks answers, all centered on the real-world work of nurturing the next generation.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 50

The Hindu Parenting Podcast
Podcast Episodes
Ep. 37: Jiva School - Personalised Education [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 41:10
In this episode, Shri Rishi Pal Chauhan, Founder and Principal of Jiva Public School talks about personalising education because every child is unique. Shri Chauhan elaborates on the ways in which Jiva School incorporate…
Ep 35: The Family Today [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:02:53
In this podcast, Shri Pankaj Saxena helps us understand the role of the family in the overall context of Hindu cosmology. He explains that the Hindu worldview is based on Kartavya Bodh, a sense of duties toward one anoth…
Ep. 34: Sadhana - Rituals in Hinduism [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:41
In Episode 34, we look at rituals in Hinduism, in a conversation with Shri PVR Narasimha Rao. The English word ritual does not really capture the sense of sacred or meaningful action that is the core of Hinduism. What is…
The Hindu Temple [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:09:11
This episode features Shri Ramakrishna Kongalla, a researcher on temples and the Asst. Prof. at the Department of Travel and Tourism Management.Shri Kongalla brings his expertise in understanding temples to help us decod…
Ep 32: Hindu Festivals - Durga Puja [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:14
In this episode on Hindu festivals, we converse with Monidipa Bose about Durga Puja as it is celebrated in Bengal. Monidipa Bose writes about history and heritage. She traces the history of Matrika worship and the ritual…
Ep 31: International Bindi & Tilak Day, Oct 15 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 44:20
In this episode, we talk to the concept creators behind a global initiative called the International Bindi & Tilak Day, celebrated on October 15 every year. Listen to their story and vision.We need these rallying points…
Ep 30: How to Talk with Children [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:16:10
This podcast is a conversation with Prof. Vamsee Juluri who teaches Media Studies at the University of San Francisco. We address the challenge of communicating with young people and children who are being told by everyon…
Strength Training & Fitness [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:05:36
In this podcast, we talk to Abhinav Kadambi & Krishna Rajaganesan - Founders of a Bharatiya strength training startup - about the important but neglected area of physical fitness & strength training, from a Bharatiya POV…
Ep-28: Hindu Festivals - Ganesh Chaturthi [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:18:59
Vinayaka Chaturthi is one of the most important festivals for Hindus and especially loved by children. In this podcast, we converse with Dr. Arathi V.B., Founder and Chairperson of Vibhu Academy. We cover a lot of topics…
Shri RB Ramesh: Founder, Chess Gurukul [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 58:08
In this podcast, we talk with Shri R.B. Ramesh, internationally renowned chess coach and trainer of many successful youngsters like R. Praggnanandhaa. He is the founder of Chess Gurukul, a chess coaching academy.The Dron…