Madhur Ahuja

Happy Lohri : Celebrate the Spirit of Life The festival of Lohri marks the beginning of the end of winter and the coming of spring and the new year. The fires lit at night, the hand-warming, the song and dance and the coming together of an otherwise atomised community, are only some of the features of this festival. The Lohri of north India coincides with Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Samkranti in Bengal, Magha Bihu in Assam, Tai Pongal in Kerala, all celebrated on the auspicious day of Makar Sankranti . There are some interesting socio-cultural and folk-legends connected with Lohri. According to The Cultural History of Punjab, Bhatti, a Rajput tribe during the reign of Akbar, inhabited parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Gujarat (now in Pakistan). Dulla Bhatti, Raja of Pindi Bhattian, was put to death by the Mughal king for revolting against him. The tribal mirasis (street singers) trace the history of the tribe and interestingly, claim Maharaja Ranjit Singh as one of its scions. Dulla

A mother and her son were on their way to "nowhere" on a highway. Son was quite young and inquisitive. He kept asking her about everything, although there was nothing, except both of them, a long high way and sand all around. Every time the son asked same set of questions in possible different ways and every time the mother replied him with new and refreshing perspectives of same situations. Son was happy to ask questions and get their answers. Mother was happy to see her son happy. Time passed. Both of them grew in age and experience. Mother turned old. Son turned young. Both of them swapped their roles. Now mother was inquisitive about things 'those never existed'. Mother kept asking him about everything, although there was nothing, except both of them, a long high way and sand all around. But son had no clue about the answers. He thought that his mother is out of her mind and that is why she is asking such silly questions. He preferred not to answer her. Tears rol