Link: https://tribune.com.pk/story/1686015/1-folk-festivals-punjab-tilt-towards-religion-spelt-death-cultural-melas/

With each side choosing its priorities in national heroes, often with a religious undertone and with religion providing a more overt direction, some cultural traditions were abandoned after being termed apostate

“Lohri was a seasonal festival; it was not associated with any specific community or religion,” Qaiser said.

“It was considered to be the mother of festivals in Punjab and was marked at the end of winter and before the coming of spring and the new year,” he recalled, explaining “People used to gather and light a fire at night, gossip would be shared, folk songs were sung and traditional dances performed.”