The auspicious occasion of Lohri, celebrated every year on the 13th day of January, is a significant cultural event for the proud residents of Punjab. This day is believed to be a celebratory send off to the cold winter. The festival is associated with the harvest of Rabi crops. Along with kite flying, several folk songs are also sung to mark the beginning of the end of the winter season around a bonfire, accompanied by eating of peanuts and ‘gachak’. The famous legend of Holika and Lohri is well-known. But one famous song that is bound to be sung in the celebrations around the bonfire is the recounting of the inspiring tale of Dulla Bhatti and Sundri Mundri.
This story falls during the reign of Mughal Empire. There was a village named "Patti' in Punjab in which a Hindu family use to stay. The family had two beautiful daughters namely Sundri and Mundri. The Tehsildar of the village Nawab Khan had a bad eye on the girls and there was only one man in the village of whom the tehsildar was scared of. His name was Dula sardar.
The tehsildar announced that on the day of Makarsakranti, he will kidnap the Hindu girls and will marry them. The family in awe of the audacity requested Dula Sardar to save their daughters.
He assured the Hindu family that their daughters will get married to boys that they desired, so he requested the family to look for the suitable boys for both the girls.
The family did as said. They found two desirable boys for the girls. Then on the day of Makar Sakranti, he ignited the fire in the Chauraha and both the girls were married to the selected boys. Since then, this ritual of burning fire takes place and Hindu thanks dula Sardar for saving the daughter and sing this song as remembrance to Dula Sardar.
Here’s how the song goes:
- Sunder mundriye ho! Beautiful girl
- Tera kaun vicharaa ho! Who will think about you
- Dullah Bhatti walla ho! Dulla of the Bhatti clan will
- Dullhe di dhee vyayae ho! Dulla's daughter got married
- Ser shakkar payee ho! He gave one ser of sugar!
- Kudi da laal pathaka ho! The girl is wearing a red suit!
- Kudi da saalu paata ho! But her shawl is torn!
- Salu kaun samete! Who will stitch her shawl?!
- Chache choori kutti! zamidara lutti! The uncle made choori!The landlords took it!
- Zamindaar sudhaye! Landlords are beaten up!!
- Bade bhole aaye! Lots of simple-headed boys came!
- Ek bhola reh gaya! One simpleton got left behind!
- Sipahee far ke lai gaya! The soldier arrested him!
- Sipahee ne mari itt! The soldier hit him with a brick!
- Sanoo de de Lohri, te teri jeeve jodi! Give us Lohri, may your pairing live forever!