By: Ashwani Mahajan

Arya Samaj of Chicagoland celebrated Lohri and Makar Sankranti on Sunday with a culturally rich and spiritually grounded program that emphasized seasonal transition, harvest traditions, and the Vedic values of education and social harmony. The event drew more than 125 members and guests from across the community.

The program opened with a Sankranti havan performed by students of the Vedic Sanskriti School under the guidance of Shamita Chugh, who explained the meaning and purpose of the Vedic mantras to help children and attendees better understand knowledge-based worship. Kamayani Narang, president of Arya Samaj of Chicagoland, welcomed the gathering and expressed gratitude to participants, volunteers, and families for their continued engagement.

Manju Kalra delivered a short discourse on the Vedic and cultural significance of Lohri and Makar Sankranti, highlighting their deeper meaning beyond ritual practices. A special highlight was the “South meets North” theme, presented through a skit and dance by Vedic Sanskriti School students choreographed by Sudha Garg. The student performers included Shreshta, Gia, Riya, Raina, Roshan, Raj, Kiara, Veronica, Athrav, Veer, Viraj, Navya, Anish, Viaan, Kanish, and Sonal Goyal.

The theme continued with an adult dance performance symbolizing India’s cultural unity, collaboratively choreographed by Sudha Garg representing the South and Ranjana Gulati representing the North. Performers included Sudha Garg, Kamayani Narang, Asmita Gharia, Rekha Singh, Prerna Arya, Mala Iyer, Ranjana Gulati, Sushmita Malhotra, Shamita Chugh, Sulakshna Bhagwat, Seema Futela, Kaanan Dhingra, Sunita Singhal, Savita Bhatia, and Vimmi Bajaj.

The celebration concluded with a preeti bhoj featuring traditional festival dishes, reinforcing warmth, togetherness, and community spirit.