Showing posts with label Punjab. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Punjab. Show all posts

Lohri - The Harvest Festival of Punjab

The harvest festival of Punjab is Lohri. Celebrated with lots of pomp and show with Bonfire, song and dance of Bhangra and Gidda. Lohri is the celebration of the shortest day of the year and that is the main reason a bon fire is lit. Lohri marks the end of winter and the onset of summer. Lohri is celebrated the day prior to Makara sankaranthi. This is also the last of the financial year of the Punjabis. Lohri rents are collected and new agricultural aggrements are made.

What people do normally on Lohri?
During the day, the kids go to every house and sing folk songs. Those kids are given sweets, savouries and money too. The kids are regarded highly on this day and so it is regarded inauspicious to send them back empty handed. The collections include sesame seeds, crystal sugar, jaggery, peanuts and corn. It is then distributed to all during the bonfire. And little of these items are thrown into the fire too.

Though all the people of Punjab celebrate Lohri, the lighting of bonfire differes from location to location. Some parts sing songs in praise of Lohri goddess and some normal folklore songs. The bonfire is light at the sunset in the village square and people toss sesame seeds, jaggery, sugar candy, popcorn into it and sing and dance around the fire till the fire dies out. During the born fire, popcorn, chikkis, milk is distributed to all the villages.

Apart from these, people fly kite too as a part of Lohri festival. People go to roof tops and fly kites of various colours.

Lohri being a very important festival, it is celebrated with more excitement in those families that recently had a marriage or had a child birth. Apart from the public Lohri celebrations, Punjabis celebrate Lohri in their own house too and a heavy dinner is served for the guests. The dinner includes Sarson da saag and makki di roti. 

Country Inn & Suites by Carlson at Amritsar

Country Inn & Suites by Carlson, Amritsar is located in the  Queen's road in the holy city of Amritsar which is surrounded by old mansions which were built as early as 1910. The hotel is quite close to all historic and monument sites of Amritsar and is in 2 minutes drive from the railway station, 10 minutes drive from the bus stand and 20 minutes drive from the airport.

Queen's country Inn is a perfect blend of utility, luxury and comfort which caters to the needs of the business and leisure travelers.
There are 48 rooms which includes 4 suites in Country Inn and Sutes by Carlson, Amritsar. All the rooms are equipped with wi-fi and other basic amenities like 24 hours running hot and cold water in the attached bathroom. The rooms are elegantly designed to suit the taste of all the guests.

* Guests can avail the facilities of massage, Steam and Sauna and also a gym.

* The restaurant at Country Inn and Suites by Carlson in Amritsar have restaurants that provide great banqueting facilities that provide great experience.  
       - Spice is a multi-cuisine restaurant which makes a perfect place for business lunch and dinner.  
       - Big Shot is the pub to enjoy pre and post dinner sessions of laze out  
        - Grills and Kebabs - Roof Top restaurant that serves delicacies under the twinkling stars.  
         - 24 hour Cafe Mosaic that serves coffee all 24 hours.

* The roof top swimming pool gives a great view to the entire city and one can enjoy the wonderful view of Golden Temple too.

* Guests and Business travelers can make use of the services of Business centres which include photocopying, faxing, printing, courier services etc.

* For the benefit of the tourist guests the travel desk at Country Inn & Suites by Carlson at Amritsar offers taxi services to the main tourist destinations and other entertainment centres in and around Amritsar. The business travelers can also avail the round the clock travel assistant.

Address: 
        Queens Road, 
         Amritsar,  
         Punjab - 143001 
 Phone: 
         91-183-5050555

Fax: 
         91-183-5069696

Email Address: 
          info@cisamritsar.in

Punjab Tourism Development Corporation Office Information

Punjab Tourism Development Corporation
Chandigarh -160018
Ph: 91-172-2781138, 2781091, 2781147. Fax: 91-172-2548828

Punjab Tourist Information Office
SCO 1064-65, Sector 22-B, Chandigarh

Punjab Tourist Information Office
Youth Hostel, Amritsar
Ph: 91-183-2231452

Punjab Tourist Information Office
Kanishka Shopping Plaza, Ashoka Road, New Delhi - 110001
Ph: 91-11-23323025

Featured post

Varanasi-India's holiest city

One of the world’s oldest cities and a world renowned religious town, Varanasi is a must see for anyone who lives or travels in India.Varana...