January is the month when the whole of North India shivers under the cold spell and the rest of the country too, feels a slight dip in temperatures. However, despite the cold, as the second week of January draws to a close, the country peeks out from under the razai’s and dohar’s to celebrate.

Lohri, Maghi, Sankranti, Pongal, Uttarayan. Different states might call them their festival with different names, and they may also celebrate it differently with different rituals, but all of them celebrate the harvest of the rabi crop. Falling within a day or two of each other (if not the same day), these festivals herald the end of the darkest of winter as the sun changes direction and enters the house of Capricorn.  

For Punjabis, it is the time of Lohri, celebrated on 13th January.

Memories of the first Lohri

My earliest memory of Lohri is of a huge bonfire on the grounds of the ONGC Colony, Ahmedabad, where my father was posted. I still remember the glare of the bonfire and the stickiness of ‘revri’ that I had stuffed in the pockets of my blue winter coat. The day after, everyone in the colony was flying kites on the terrace of the buildings to celebrate the Gujarati festival of Uttarayan. I remember marvelling as multi-hued kites covered the sky, hiding the afternoon sun. 

Dehradun’s Lohri – Simple and quiet

By the following year, we had moved back to our hometown of Dehradun. The Lohri celebrations with just the immediate family were subdued compared to the communal celebrations in Ahmedabad. However, there was no lack of goodies to munch on. There was popcorn, peanuts, revri and gajak as one warmed the hands over the bonfire on the cold winter evening. On Sankranti, the morning after Lohri, Biji (my grandmother) kept a huge plate full of lentils and rice. All members of the family dropped coins into it. This was later given as alms to the needy. There were no colourful kites in the sky for in North India, the kites are flown at the festival of Basant rather than Uttarayan.

The Youthful Years of Lohri

As the years passed, Lohri became synonymous with sweetmeats (which I loved) and the cliched Punjabi staple of sarson ka saag and makki ki roti for dinner(both of which, in those days, I refused to eat). Lohri became more fun once I moved to college as well. A professor would hold an open house for the celebrations. We students from the Punjab Association would take full advantage of his largesse and spend a fun evening merry-making and dancing around the bonfire as the dhol player played out beats. 

Lohri Across Continents

After marriage, we left our country to move to distant shores. Lohri was relegated to the background, but after I became a mother, I felt an inexplicable need to show my children what Lohri means. Craving the connection, I started doing the Lohri rituals by myself, albeit over the flames of the gas stove instead of the bonfire. I started eating Sarson ka saag (Thank God for iins of Sohna by Markfed). Missing home, I, not a very enthusiastic cook, learned how to make til ke ladoo and gur-wale-chawal. Revri, gajak, and peanuts are now purchased in advance at exorbitant rates from the Indian grocery store.

Hubby dearest, in order, to make me happy, every year, tries to find restaurants with the authentic taste of saag and bonfire that I crave. The children, on the other hand, are amused, and a little bemused by the actions of their mother on this day.

The Virtual Bonfire Of Lohri

However, this restlessness has gone down over the past couple of years. And this is because my parents learned how to make video calls. Now, when they are ready to burn the Lohri bonfire, they call, so that we can also be a part of the celebrations, albeit virtually. And even though I watch the flames through the screen, I can feel their warmth in faraway Dubai. 

HARSHITA NANDA

As always, our writers wrote on various aspects of freedom!

Let’s take a look at them

Are We Free To Live Our Freedom: 7 Women In Made In Heaven 2 Reveal It.

Promita shows us how freedom has been interpreted in the popular web series. The TSS Team would like to showcase this article as an example of how to present film reviews with the help of a tool. A very innovative way of presenting Freedom.

Learning To Travel Solo: An Achievement

Solo Trip: Is it fun? Or is it scary? Manjusha Dutta shares her experience of a trip where she had to travel on her own.

Is Motherhood The Benchmark Of Womanhood: Sara’s, A Film That Breaks Free Of The Notion

Deepika Ajith reviews a film that smashes all notions about motherhood and upholds the fact that it is better not to be a parent than a bad parent since parenthood is a huge responsibility.

My Mother – A Homemaker. But The Best Guide to Financial Independence

In this inspirational piece, Preethi shares her mother’s advice with us; “Financial independence is a must for everyone, especially women. Lifespan and relationships do not come with a guarantee.”

Sense of Freedom: 10 Questions That Help Us Rethink

Barnali reminds us all that we can truly be free only when we celebrate our differences. She highlights ten questions that help us analyse the true sense of freedom.

Rocky Aur Rani Kii Prem Kahaani: A Karan Johar Film With A Difference

Sreeparna Sen has written a review of the film, Rocky Aur Rani Ki Prem Kahani.

To Travel Is To Chase Salvation: An Interpretation Of Freedom

Travelling sets us free. To travel is to escape from the mundane! In this article, Rishita leaves us with a profound thought. Freedom to her boils down to the essence of having the ability to do something without any ‘boundaries’. But what if there was no boundary in the first place?

Dancing for My Soul: The Perfect Idea Of Freedom

‘What will people say’ is one of the biggest worries for many. How dancing helped Manjusha break free of this inhibition remains the crux of the piece.

Revisiting The 3 Tenets Of Our Preamble: How Far Have We Arrived?

Harshita Nanda reminds us on the eve of Independence Day that the Preamble envisaged a free country upholding the tenets of justice, liberty, and equality. How far have we come?

The Zeal Amaranthine!

A poem on freedom penned down by our poet Ankurita Khajanchi.

Breaking free: Are we there yet? 12 Questions To Ponder

76 years after gaining freedom from the British, are Indian women truly free in all aspects? Deepa Perumal poses 12 questions that make us reflect. She ends her article by saying that freedom is a journey to self-discovery. Freedom is empowering. Freedom is fulfilling.

The Definition Of Freedom: ‘A Free State Of Mind’

The concept of freedom varies from person to person, leading to varied interpretations and a variety of definitions. Sonali presents her views and supports them with illustrations.

Freedom From Mosquitoes: Interesting Facts and 7 Home Remedies

August 20 is International Mosquito Day. Aditi Lahiry was commissioned to write a  piece where she lets us in on some interesting facts about the mosquito menace and lists down the home remedies that can tackle it. TSS would like to thank you for the submission.

International Dog Day: 7 Interesting Facts About Man’s Closest Companion And A Rescuer’s Account

International Dog Day is celebrated on August 26 every year. Prerana, a rescuer based in Bangalore, shares how it all began with her.

https://theshesaga.com/2023/08/16/national-dogs-day-a-reminder-about-the-significant-contribution-of-mans-closest-companion

We are sure that our August issue will be an enriching read for our readers.

It’s time to declare the winners of August.

• Manjusha Dutta contributed two articles. Dancing for My Soul: The Perfect Idea Of Freedom is a winner.

• The other winners are Deepika Ajith for Is Motherhood The Benchmark Of Womanhood: Sara’s, A Film That Breaks Free Of The Notion and

• Promita Banerjee Nag for Are We Free To Live Our Freedom: 7 Women In Made In Heaven 2 Reveal It.

Our Winners win a copy of the book ‘Miles & Fears’ written by Rekha Mordani.

VEDAPRANA

On August 15, Independence Day of India, it will be seventy-six years since that momentous day when our country shrugged off the mantle of British rule. The question that we, Indians, need to ask ourselves is: Have we Indians kept our tryst with destiny?

Last year, on the 14th of August, I was on the way to the airport. My heart was bursting with pride as I saw the tri-colour wherever my eyes fell. Each rooftop, whether home or office, had bonnets of cars, bikes, and rickshaws, all of which proudly displayed the tiranga. Fluttering in the monsoon breeze, the flag seemed to symbolise the spirit of nationalism among the citizens of our country.

However, as our car stopped at a traffic intersection in New Delhi, I was in for a rude awakening. It shocked me to see a young girl selling flags. Barely eight years old, bedraggled, and malnourished, she darted through the stationary cars, begging the motorists to buy a flag from her. Even though I wanted to, I could not purchase a flag from her because I could not carry it with me. And she was not the only one. There were many children like her selling flags.

The image of the girl created an indelible impression on my mind. I regretted that I was not able to help her. When I sat down to write this post, her image and the Preamble of India popped into my mind. The words liberty, equality, and fraternity highlight the values on which our country is founded.

I couldn’t help but muse about the conundrum that is India. A country that is culturally and linguistically diverse and yet uniquely united….Where the economic disparities among people are massive. A handful of super-rich control the bulk of national wealth, compared to the population struggling for two square meals a day.

In the poem, Where the Mind is Without Fear, Gurudev Rabindranath Tagore writes, 

The poem urges us to create a world with unconditional freedom for all. 

The Preamble, the poem, and the image of the girl made me realise the responsibility we Indians carry on our shoulders.

Our freedom, enshrined in our constitution, has been hard won. It took years of sacrifice, blood, and sheer stubbornness by our freedom fighters to win. We need to be constantly aware not to abuse it. But we also need to ensure that each and every citizen of India enjoys it, without any pre-conditions. In a world that is becoming increasingly divisive, maybe it is time for us to reacquaint ourselves with our founding values. To correct our country’s course so that each mind is held high without fear.

As Independence Day approaches, the sales of tri-coloured items will rise, and patriotic articles will flood blogs and newspapers. Our tri-colour will flutter from the rooftops and on cars. But the question we need to ask ourselves is if anything will change for that little girl selling traffic flags. 

Rather than selling flags at a traffic junction, will she have an opportunity to attend a flag-hoisting ceremony at a school? 

For, in my opinion, if there is a change, that will be the true independence of our country!

Jai Hind!

HARSHITA NANDA