Lohri 2016 celebrated in Punjab

Lohri celebrated with fervour in many educational institutions of the city

Lohri was celebrated by the staff and students at Lyallpur Khalsa College, Jalandhar, today. Lohri bonfire was lit along with a presentation of Boliyan, Gidha and Lok Geet by the students. Speaking on the occasion, college principal Dr Gurpinder Singh Samra said celebration of festivals is required to preserve our rich cultural heritage and to make the younger generation aware of it. President of the college management Balbir Kaur congratulated the students and staff on the occasion.

Essay-writing competition organised

KCL-IMT organised an essay writing, quiz and collage-making contest based on the philosophy and teachings of Swami Vivekananda to celebrate his 153rd birth anniversary. Students of IT and management department participated in the events. These events honoured the contribution of Swami Vivekananda to society. Dr SK Sood (Director KCL-IMT), Ramandeep Deol (head of management department), Kamal Nain Sharma (head of IT  department), faculty members and students attended the event.

National Youth Day celebrations at KMV

Kanya Maha Vidyalaya’s Swami Vivekananda Society, formed by the department of political science, NSS and the Department of Student Welfare and Vedic Research Centre, celebrated the National Youth Day to commemorate the 153rd birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda. Principal, KMV, Prof Atima Sharma Dwivedi was the chief speaker at the programme. She spoke about the emphasis laid by Vivekananda on nation-building. An essay competition on his life was a part of the literary activities. A mobile on the spot quiz based on the life of Swami Vivekananda was also held.

Youth urged to check global warming

CT Group of Institutions organised a special session on ‘Global Warming- A threat to human life’. It was addressed by BS Joshi, former head of geography department at Doaba College, Shahpur Campus. Prof Joshi said comparatively higher temperatures during the winters have become a cause of concern for the wheat growers in Punjab and Haryana with experts fearing loss of productivity if mercury continues to remain this way. “The deforestation and industrialisation under the guise of development has polluted environment, consequently endangering human life on earth,” he said. He encouraged the youngsters to protect greenery. Manbir Singh, managing director, CT Group of Institutions, spoke about the importance of protecting nature, highlighting the importance of planting trees. Charanjit Singh Channi, Chairman, CT Group of Institutions, said the race for materialistic development had disturbed the ecological balance.

DIPS students say no to deadly polythene

To spread awareness in society regarding harmful effects of polythene and plastics, students of DIPS Suranussi (Senior Wing) organised a rally to stop people from using polythene bags. The students marched through Surat Nagar, Master Colony, Amandeep Avenue, Janta Colony and Anand Nagar. Students also explained the other alternatives material which can be used as substitutes for polythene bags. School principal Bela Kapoor appreciated this effort of the students.

Historic bazaar abuzz with Lohri around

Ahead of Lohri festival, the centuries-old Bhad Bhunje Wala Bazaar in the Qila Bhangiyan area inside the walled city has revived. Traditional shops that serve sweat meats and snacks associated with the festival have been opened and these serve eatables to the customers.

Located in the narrow arterial lanes of the walled city, shopkeepers at Bhad Bhunje Wala Bazaar have been dishing out preparations associated with the festival for many centuries.
It is said the market is as old as the city. Its shopkeepers dish out  eatables like gachak, rewris, Sut laddu and chivare (beaten rice), among others. The market is located in Qilla Bhangiya, named after one of the Sikh misls.

Most families here have been involved in the profession of selling and preparing these items for generations.

Ram Lubhaya, a shopkeeper, said most traders prepared their own items and then display them at shops. He added that the young generation has switched over from manually preparing these sweets to machines, to reduce the time for preparation and dependence on labour. He said labour has become elusive while the cost of hiring is also very high.

Ram Lubhaya said he felt uncomfortable with this work now as people like him, who prepared items manually, were not able to earn a satisfactory income anymore.

He said some affluent people had procured machines and cornered a large chunk of the business.
Another trader, Mohan Lal, said the trade was seasonal and a majority of these items are consumed in the winters. Some of the innovative traders have been running shops all the year round by dishing out snacks.

However, modernisation has had its effect as a large number of people have either deserted the trade or installed machines to prepare these items in factories.