Glimpses from the vibrant Lohri celebrations at Hyatt Regency Kolkata

Lohri is a celebration of the harvest season in North India and like most other festivals, it is celebrated with much enthusiasm in the City of Joy too. The most awaited Lohri celebration in the city is hosted by Gunnu and Satnam Singh Ahluwalia every year. This year, the celebrations at Hyatt Regency Kolkata on January 13 saw people from different walks of life in attendance. The crackling flames of the sacred bonfire added warmth to the cold evening while joy and laughter filled the air. t2 dropped by to capture moments of the joyous occasion.

Satnam Singh Ahluwalia, his wife Gunnu, daughter Chahat and son-in-law Raghav took part in lighting the bonfire along with other guests. The guests offered their prayers and threw in sesame seeds, peanuts and popcorn into the fire as part of the traditional Punjabi ritual. “This bonfire festival, Lohri, is a celebration of togetherness — a day to warm hands and hearts, preserving our heritage, and instilling pride in the younger generation about their roots,” said Satnam. “In the kaleidoscope of traditions, Lohri illuminates the beauty of togetherness, where friends become family. As we gather around the bonfire, let the flames of joy, shared by all, light the path to a year filled with understanding, respect, and celebration of our collective values and friendship,” said Gunnu Ahluwalia.

Punjabis are known for their warm and vibrant energy and the decor at the Lohri party reflected that with the orange and pink canopies along with traditional elements bringing authentic Punjabi festive vibes to the place.

The guests danced to the energetic Bhangra beats around the bonfire with the dance troupe and singer Meet Kaur singing songs like Chitta kukkad, Arjan vailly, Lodi, Kala shah kala and many more.

Lohri is incomplete without hearty Punjabi dishes and hence the venue was filled with the smell of jaggery tea, Amritsari Chole, Sarson ka Saag along with Lohri special sweet treats brought straight from Punjab like Til Bugga and others, everything carefully curated by host Satnam Singh Ahluwalia. 

Kumar Shobhan, general manager, Hyatt Regency Kolkata (left) with Pramode Bhandari, area general manager of The Park. “The transformation of our lawns into a mini Punjab was a testament to the seamless blend of tradition and hospitality. We thank Satnam Singh Ahluwalia for bringing the vibrant spirit of Lohri to life at Hyatt, creating cherished memories for the citizens of the city in this enchanting setting,” said Kumar Shobhan.

Zha Liyou, consul general of China with his wife Zheng Huiqun

Air Chief Marshal B.S. Dhanoa (Retd.) with wife Kamalpreet Kaur

Koel Mallick and Nispal Singh

Nussrat Jahan and Yash Daasguptaa

Mimi Chakraborty

Imran Zaki with daughter Mariam and her fiance Kushal Mehta

Kumar Shobhan, general manager, Hyatt Regency Kolkata (left) with Pramode Bhandari, area general manager of The Park. "The transformation of our lawns into a mini Punjab was a testament to the seamless blend of tradition and hospitality. We thank Satnam Singh Ahluwalia for bringing the vibrant spirit of Lohri to life at Hyatt, creating cherished memories for the citizens of the city in this enchanting setting," said Kumar Shobhan.

Shahenshah and Fatima Mirza

Alexey M. Idamkin, consul general of Russia

Utsav Parekh

Sharad Khaitan with wife Minu

Sanjay and Minu Budhia

Richa Sharma

Jyotee Khaitan

Sean Banerjee

June and Shukla 

Koneenica Banerjee with daughter Antahkarana

Satnam with Bipin Vohra and Jagmohan, IPS

PC Sorcar (Jr) with wife Joysri and daughter Moubani Sorcar

Bonny Sengupta and Koushani Mukherjee

Rachana Banerjee

Shiboprosad Mukherjee

Shaheb Bhattacherjee

DJ Akash Rohira 

Satnam with Archbishop of Calcutta, Thomas D'Souza

Didier Talpain, French consul general 

(L-R) Jasmeet Singh, Daashmeshbir Singh and Jaideep Singh

(L-R) Jasmeet Singh, Daashmeshbir Singh and Jaideep Singh

 

Pictures: B Halder