Guide

Lohri 2027: date, meaning and flying home to Punjab

By Travel Care team · Last checked 20 October 2026

Lohri 2027 is on the night of Wednesday 13 January by the date most Punjabi calendars and community events use, although Drik Panchang lists Thursday 14 January for Amritsar because Makar Sankranti falls on the 15th that year. Lohri falls in the middle of the Australian summer school holidays, the busiest time of year for flights to Punjab, so if you want to be in Amritsar or Chandigarh for it, book now.

Lohri dates: 2027, 2028 and 2029

Year	Lohri	Maghi / Makar Sankranti	Notes
2027	Wed 13 Jan (some calendars, including Drik Panchang for Amritsar and New Delhi, list Thu 14 Jan)	Makar Sankranti Fri 15 Jan (Drik Panchang)	Inside the SA summer school holidays (12 Dec 2026 – 27 Jan 2027)
2028	Fri 14 Jan (Drik Panchang)	The following day	Check with your gurdwara or community association closer to the date
2029	Sat 13 Jan (Drik Panchang)	The following day	Falls on a weekend

Lohri follows the solar calendar. It's celebrated on the eve of Maghi, so it usually lands on 13 January, but some calendars move it to the 14th in years when Makar Sankranti falls late. Dates are from Drik Panchang. If you're planning around a family function, go by the date your family and gurdwara are using.

What is Lohri?

Lohri is a Punjabi winter festival that marks the end of the coldest part of winter and the move towards longer days. It's celebrated by Sikh and Hindu Punjabi families alike. In the evening, families and neighbours gather around a bonfire and offer til (sesame), gur (jaggery), peanuts, popcorn and rewri into the fire. Then there's singing, dhol, bhangra and giddha, and dinner such as sarson da saag and makki di roti.

Lohri has special meaning for a family's first Lohri after a wedding or the birth of a baby. Many families hold a bigger celebration that year, which is why so many people try to be home in Punjab for it.

Where Lohri is celebrated in Punjab

Lohri is celebrated right across Punjab, in villages and cities alike, including Amritsar, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Patiala and Chandigarh, and in Punjabi families in Delhi and Haryana. Lohri isn't among the gazetted holidays in the Punjab Government's 2027 list, released in October 2026, as reported in the Punjabi press. The January holidays on that list are Guru Gobind Singh Ji's Prakash Purab (15 January) and Republic Day, so offices and banks may be open on Lohri itself. Most of the celebration happens at home and in the neighbourhood, not at big public events, so being there usually means being with family.

January in north India is cold. Nights in Punjab can drop close to freezing, and morning fog is common. Pack warm clothes, and allow extra time for domestic connections in Delhi, because early-morning fog can delay flights.

Lohri in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney

In Australia, Lohri falls in mid-summer, so the bonfire is often a small, safe fire pit or is replaced by lights, while the music, food and dancing stay the same. Gurdwaras, Punjabi community associations, bhangra groups and some councils hold Lohri evenings in Adelaide, Melbourne and Sydney. Dates and venues change every year and usually aren't announced until December or January, so check your local gurdwara or community association for the 2027 events. Fire restrictions apply in summer, so organisers will follow local fire-danger rules.

Adelaide has a large Punjabi community. At the 2021 Census, 18,743 people in Greater Adelaide spoke Punjabi at home (ABS).

When to book flights for Lohri

Lohri sits in the middle of the busiest weeks of the year for flights from Australia to India. The summer school holidays, Christmas and Punjabi wedding season (roughly November to February) all overlap. Here's what that means:

If you're travelling for Lohri 2027, book now. Seats on the most convenient dates around early January are already in high demand. Be flexible by a few days either way, and consider flying out before Christmas.
Coming home: late-January flights are busy as families head back for the school year. If you can stay into February, return fares are usually lower. February is the cheapest month on average (see our cheapest time to fly guide).
For Lohri 2028 and later: start looking when bookings open, about 11 months ahead, and aim to book by mid-year.

Flying to Amritsar or Chandigarh

There are no non-stop flights from Australia to Punjab. The usual ways in are:

Routing	Airlines	Good to know
Via Kuala Lumpur to Amritsar	Malaysia Airlines all the way	Kuala Lumpur–Amritsar runs about daily, the most frequent one-stop link into Amritsar
Via Singapore to Amritsar	Singapore Airlines, then Scoot	Scoot to Amritsar runs about 4 times a week. Book on one ticket and check the Scoot baggage
Via Doha to Amritsar	Qatar Airways	Full-service the whole way, but it usually lands in Amritsar in the early hours
Budget via Kuala Lumpur	AirAsia (resumes Kuala Lumpur–Amritsar on 2 Dec 2026, 4 times a week)	Often a separate ticket, so you collect and re-check bags. Buy baggage in advance
Via Delhi to Amritsar or Chandigarh	Air India or Qantas non-stop to Delhi from Melbourne or Sydney, then a domestic flight, train or drive	The most choice of dates. The usual way to reach Chandigarh

For wedding-season luggage, read our baggage allowance guide first. Low-cost fares into Amritsar can include no checked bag at all.

Route pages for Punjab

Adelaide to Amritsar, Melbourne to Amritsar, Sydney to Amritsar, Brisbane to Amritsar, and for the Delhi option, Adelaide to Delhi and Melbourne to Delhi. Bringing parents or grandparents to Australia after Lohri instead? See our parents' page.

Talk to a real person about Lohri flights

Fares and schedules change every day, so we don't publish prices on this page. For live fares, call or WhatsApp the Travel Care team on 0421 882 733. We're a family-run agency at 222 Henley Beach Road, Torrensville, booking flights since 2010, and we speak English, Hindi and Punjabi. Seen a cheaper fare somewhere else? Send us the screenshot and we'll see what we can do.

Last checked: 20 October 2026 by the Travel Care team.

Questions we get asked

When is Lohri in 2027?

Lohri 2027 is on Wednesday 13 January by the traditional date most Punjabi calendars use. Drik Panchang lists Thursday 14 January for Amritsar, because Makar Sankranti falls on Friday 15 January that year. Check with your family or gurdwara.

Is Lohri always on 13 January?

Usually, but not always. Lohri is held on the eve of Maghi, so in some years calendars put it on 14 January. Drik Panchang lists 14 January 2028 and 13 January 2029.

Where can I celebrate Lohri in Adelaide?

Gurdwaras and Punjabi community associations usually hold Lohri evenings, but dates and venues change each year. Check with your local gurdwara or community association in December.

When should I book flights to Amritsar for Lohri?

As early as possible. Lohri falls in the Australian summer school holidays and Punjabi wedding season, the busiest time for flights to Punjab. For 2027, book now and be flexible with your dates.

Is it better to fly into Amritsar or Delhi for Lohri?

Flying into Amritsar via Kuala Lumpur or Singapore avoids a long trip north from Delhi. Delhi has more flights and dates, and is the usual way to reach Chandigarh, but January fog can delay connections.