Bihu- The pulsating festival of Assam

Bihu is the most vibrant and popular festival of Assam.

Indeed it is considered as the State Festival and is celebrated by every segment of the society with unique songs and dances.

There are three types of Bihu- Bohag Bihu also known as Rongali Bihu, Kati Bihu or Kangali Bihu and Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu.

Bohag Bihu is the most popular Bihu festival. The name ‘Bohag’ indicates joviality or high spirits. It is a spring festival, celebrated to guide the season of color and prosperity. The festival starts from ‘Sankranti’ day, the last day of ‘Chaitra’ last month of the Assamese year. The Goru Bihu is observed with various sacraments. The cattle are believed to be ‘Go-Lakshmi’. This Bihu symbolizes the value of a cow in agriculture. As a result, the first day of Bohag Bihu is devoted to the worship of cow to enhance physical power and augment milk production.

The second day of the festival is called ‘Manuh Bihu’ or Human Worship. On a festive day, the populace wears new clothes after the ritual bath and offers the propitious ‘Bihuan’ Gamocha to one another. An assortment of mouthwatering cuisines are cooked on this day- explicitly Chira Laura or ladoos prepared with coconut/sesame/rice powder) and many types of Pitha or rice cakes. The women love to dress up traditionally with delightful golden Muga Silk and White Mulberry Silk garments.

The ‘Rongali Bihu’ is also considered as the fiesta of dance, in which groups of young girls and boys called ‘Huchari’ parties visit different places dancing with ‘dhol’ or drum and ‘pepa’ or pipes. They visit every home and pray for the wellbeing of the family members through an idyllic depiction of community songs and dances. The Bodo Kacharis commemorate ‘Baisaggu’; the Baikhu celebrates the Rabha Bihu; the Missing community observes the ‘Ali-Al-Ligang’ and the Deoris commemorates the ‘Bohagio Bishu’.

Identical to Bohag Bihu, the Kati Bihu or Kangali Bihu is associated with the agricultural lifestyle. ‘Kangal’ denotes underprivileged or poor. This Bihu is observed as a thanksgiving ceremony to the Almighty for enhanced crop production during the coming season. There is not much merriment or ingestion in this Bihu.

It is commemorated on the first day of Kati month of the Assamese calendar. This is the time when paddy grows in the meadows and the cultivators work hard, enthusiastically waiting for a good harvest season.

People of this multi-cultured and multi-lingual state celebrate a variety of colorful festivals, reflecting the perfect blend of culture and tradition of different tribal and sub-tribal dwellers of the state.

There are sacred and communal festivals in addition. As the major occupation of the people in the state is farming, therefore most of the festivals are celebrated during the pre-harvest or post-harvest season.