Saying Happy Lohri in Punjabi: Scripts and Variations

Lohri Mubarak!

During the winter solstice, Punjabis across the globe honor the tradition of Lohri, a festive celebration filled with warmth and joy. To express our wishes and happiness, we often greet each other with Lohri Mubarak. In Punjabi, this greeting can be said in two different ways:

Lohri dian vadhiana

This expression is commonly used in Shahmukhi Punjabi script, which is primarily used in Pakistan. Shahmukhi is one of two official scripts adopted for writing Punjabi language and is written from right to left.

Alternately, in India, where the Gurumukhi script is predominantly used, you would say:

Lohri dian wadhiana

Here, the same expression is written in Gurumukhi script, which is written from left to right.

It's worth noting that there are two different scripts used for writing Punjabi:

Shahmukhi Script

Shahmukhi is the official script for writing Punjabi in Pakistan. It is derived from the Perso-Arabic script and is used predominantly in Pakistani Punjab. The name Shahmukhi comes from the Persian words shah meaning king or emperor, and mukhi meaning beginning or initial, symbolizing the ‘Imperial’ start of the script. Shahmukhi is not only used for Lohri greetings but for all Punjabi writing and literature in Pakistan.

Gurumukhi Script

On the other hand, Gurumukhi is the script used in India for writing Punjabi. It is derived from the ancient ?āradā script and is closely related to the Devanagari script used for writing Hindi and several other Indian languages. The name Gurumukhi originates from the Guru Granth Sahib, which is the holy scripture of the Sikhs, as the script was believed to have been designed by Guru Angad, the second Guru of the Sikhs.

Conclusion

The ability to use different scripts to express the same greeting highlights the rich cultural heritage and linguistic diversity of the Punjabi-speaking community. Whether you are in Pakistan or India, using the appropriate script to say Lohri Mubarak ensures that your wishes are conveyed with the correct cultural sensitivity and respect.

Related Keywords

Happy Lohri, Punjabi Script, Punjabi Greetings

Resources

More about Shahmukhi Script

More about Gurumukhi Script