By Tanya Ranjan
Across India, mid-January marks a shared pause in the agricultural calendar. The winter harvest has been gathered, the hardest labour is over, and communities take time to celebrate. While this moment is common, how it is observed varies widely. In eastern India, it is marked by Tusu Parab; across much of the country, by Makar Sankranti; and in the north, especially Punjab, by Lohri. Together, these festivals show how one season can carry many meanings.
Tusu Parab is celebrated mainly in rural parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal, and parts of Odisha. Observed on the last day of the Bengali month of Poush, it marks the end of the farming year. The festival is closely shaped by women, particularly young and unmarried girls, and centres on community singing rather than formal worship.
At the heart of Tusu Parab is the figure of Tusu, represented through a small, handmade idol or symbolic form created from everyday materials like straw, cloth, and paper. In the weeks leading up to the festival, women gather in the evenings to sing traditional Tusu songs. These songs talk about daily life—relationships, work, family pressures, poverty, migration, and social inequalities. On the final day, the Tusu idols are taken in procession and immersed in nearby water bodies, symbolising the closing of the agricultural cycle and hopes for the year ahead.
Makar Sankranti falls around the same time but has a much wider geographic spread. It is linked to the sun’s movement into the zodiac sign of Capricorn and is considered an auspicious moment. Across different regions, it is known by different names and customs, but it commonly involves rituals, temple visits, and special foods made from sesame seeds and jaggery. In many places, public celebrations like kite flying bring the festival into open, shared spaces.
Compared to Tusu Parab, Makar Sankranti has a stronger religious and astrological dimension. It is often marked by large gatherings and visible celebration, reflecting its place in mainstream cultural and religious calendars.
Lohri, celebrated mainly in Punjab and neighbouring regions, marks the end of winter and the harvesting of rabi crops. It is closely associated with bonfires, around which families and communities gather in the evening. People offer sesame, jaggery, peanuts, and popcorn to the fire, sing folk songs, and dance, especially to traditional Punjabi rhythms. Lohri is also linked to life milestones, such as marriages and the birth of a child, making it both a seasonal and social celebration.
While Lohri is festive and outward-facing, centred on warmth, fire, and community gathering, Tusu Parab remains quieter and more intimate, rooted in songs and local expression. Makar Sankranti sits somewhere in between—both widely celebrated and locally adapted.
Though different in form, all three festivals respond to the same moment in the agricultural year. They reflect regional histories, social structures, and ways of life. Together, Tusu Parab, Makar Sankranti, and Lohri show how India’s cultural diversity shapes not just how people celebrate, but how they understand work, time, and renewal at the end of a long farming season.
(Author is a writing consultant. Views are personal.)
