Caring hearts spread Lohri warmth and joy

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Winters make life in North India excruciatingly sedentary. As the temperature dips, we huddle indoors and love to spend long hours under the blanket. This goes on until the middle of January, until Lohri, the bonfire festival, knocks at our door.

Celebrated with family and friends, with the quintessential revri, gajak and popcorn, the festival spreads warm cheer. Amidst the festivities and joy, youngsters in the city are spreading some warmth, literally, among the
less fortunate. They are donating warm clothes and blankets to the needy around the festival.
“I got along with a group of friends and decided to pool in funds, partly from our side and partly by raising donations to distribute quilts and blankets for the needy and spread some cheer. We managed to raise about `38,000 and bought around 165 blankets,” says 26-year-old Medhavi Gandhi, founder, Happy Hands Foundation, a not-for-profit organisation that aims at reviving Indian art, craft and culture. She along with her friends Shaziya Abbas, Raghav Chhabra and Thilavar distributed blankets at Lajpat Nagar, Vikaspuri, Nizamuddin, Bhikaji Kama, Munirka, Saket and Tilak Nagar.
Shruti and Karnvir, who would be celebrating their first Lohri after marriage, are looking forward to celebrating the festival in full vigour with family and friends. They have organised a small party at their place on Sunday night. For the morning, they have a generous plan.
“We both felt that the biting cold made us so miserable inspite of our numerous blankets, sweaters and room heater; how would the homeless survive? So, on the auspicious occasion of Lohri, we decided to buy sweaters and jackets and distribute them to the needy people around our house. We have already shopped for it,” says Shruti.
Sundeep Choudhary, a young postgraduation student, who is also working with Pravah is looking forward to helping undergraduate student volunteers to raise resources like warm clothes and blankets and five them to the needy, by collaborating with Goonj, an NGO actively involved in distributing clothes and blankets.
“We are planning to collect winter stuff from various parts of the city and distribute it. As the festive spirit spreads in the air, we hope to get good responses and draw in maximum possible resources,” smiles Sundeep.
Amidst the festive crackle of the bonfire on Lohri, the young lot have spread warmth and joy with their sharing and caring.