We All Celebrate 26 January But You Know What is the history of January 26?

On December 9, 1946 the Constituent Assembly met for the first time in the Constitution Hall of Parliament House, with the intention of putting together the document that would go on to form the backbone of the independent India’s government. Exuberant and full of hope, the 207 members out of 292 present in the first session started the debate and discussions which would continue for the next three months, culminating in the constitution of India.

The British government sent the Cabinet mission to India in 1946 to discuss with Indian leaders, the process for the peaceful transfer of power. As per the guidelines laid down by the mission, provincial legislative elections were held resulting in the nomination of 292 representatives who would go on to form the Constituent Assembly. Those elected included names like Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel, Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Sarojini Naidu and Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru among others. The task at hand was humongous. Resolutions laid out had to take care of aspects like territorial integrity, socio-economic equality, justice of law and minority rights. Setting out the objectives for the Constituent Assembly, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said the following:

“The first task of this Assembly is to free India through a new constitution, to feed the starving people, and to clothe the naked masses, and to give every Indian the fullest opportunity to develop himself according to his capacity. This is certainly a great task.”
In the next 3 years, the Constituent Assembly held 11 sessions over 165 days. The draft constitution was approved on December 9, 1949. About a month later, on January 26, 1950 the Constitution of India came into force officially, making the newly born nation of India a modern republic.

Wishing You All A Very Happy Lohri

Come the month of Jan and therefore the whole of geographical area gears up to celebrate the Lohri competition. it's one in all the foremost joyful occassions for each Punjabi, particularly therefore for those families wherever there has been a recent wedding or the birth of a son.

Though there ar completely different stories concerning the origin of Lohri, it has generally been accepted that the occassion has always been celebrated as a harvest festival. Coming at the end of the winter season, it marks the last day of the month Paush, and beginning of the month Magha (January 12/13 as per the Gregorian calendar). It is during this time that the farm fields gleam with wheat, the primary North Indian crop.

Lohri is essentially a festival dedicated to fire and the sun god. The celebration of Lohri marks the time when the sun shines from the "Uttrarayan", meaning it passes across Makar (the zodiac sign Capricorn) and moves northwards. This alteration of the sun's position lessens the severity of the winter season and the earth receives warmth bringing comfort to her inhabitants. Lohri celebrates this impending comfort and sees nightlong festivities that has people lighting bonfires to combat the chilly weather, and singing and dancing around it in a festive mood. The fire also symbolizes the sun and is seen as a source of energy and spiritual strength. It is worshipped as a deity with food-offerings consisting of peanuts, popcorn and sweets made of til-chirva, gajak and revri

It can safely be said that the observation of Lohri has the dual purpose of celebrating the annual harvest and propitiating the sun-god both of which has tremendous importance in the life of a North Indian, especially those belonging to its agrarian society. Farmers form a major part of the celebrants of Lohri. The festival sees enthusiastic celebrations by both Sikhs and Hindus, in the North Indian states of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and some areas of of Himachal Pradesh.