Loud Thinking  

#PeerTalks with Poonam Singh about Lohri, The Festival   

Poonam Singh nee Diddi. (Diddis are ancient pairs of Greek-Turk origin), is Editor  Preet Lari, a magazine of Punjab from 1933. A sole editor from 1984. Trained in dramatics, went to  National School of Drama New Delhi. and PU  Chandigarh’s Drama Deptt.  Her father Madan Lal Didi ( Diddi) was a poet and trade union teacher in Faiz tradition, and a friend of Sahir. She was brought up in that tradition. They live in Preet Nagar just near the Wagah border as well as in Chandigarh.  

Preet means Love, and this is a village and a magazine devoted to Love, founded by Er Gurbakhsh Singh in 1937 and 1933 respectively, run by four generations of the family. Poonam Singh is a granddaughter-in-law of Gurbakhsh Singh.  

Lohri is a popular Punjabi winter folk festival celebrated primarily in the Punjab region. The significance and legends about the Lohri festival are many and these link the festival to the Punjab region. It is believed by many that the festival commemorates the passing of the winter solstice.  

#Lohri #Punjab