Assam Bihu

 

Assam Bihu

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HARVEST OF HAPPINESS

The moment you mention Assamese culture, a group of vibrantly dressed people dancing energetically to the beats of Dhol(a special kind of a drum) comes to mind. Bihu is not just a festival but a feeling of joy for every Assamese. Not just happiness, this festival teaches every Assamese to celebrate sorrow too. Celebrated by 65 different tribes of Assam, this festival of spring is held thrice a year.

 

 

 Rongali or Bohang Bihu (festival of happiness) is celebrated during the month of April on the occasion of Assamese New Year and marks the beginning of the harvesting season. Celebrated over two days the first day of Rongali Bihu known as Goru Bihu which begins with washing and worshiping cows and the second day called manuh bihuis usual celebration of joy.

This also that time of the year when festive fervor grips the entire state. Wherever you go, the sound of dhol, pepa, gogonaand euphoric bihu songs mesmerizes the body and soul. As a practice during Bihu, a group of boys clad in Assamese traditional dress perform Bihu from door to door for a token of appreciation. This tradition or practice is called husori. After the performance family seeks blessings from husori. Eventually husori has started including girls in the troupe.

Traditional pithasand snacks continue to add charm to the festival of Bihu. The practice of giving Bihuwan or gamocha(Assamese traditional towel) to elders during Bihu is an integral part of the Assamese cultural.

 Next isKongalior Kati Bihu, the festival of scarcity. This Bihu falls in mid-October.Kongali meaning scarcity, Kati bihu is a somber affair and sees no festivities. Believed to ward off evil from the crops, Assamese people light earthen lamps amidst paddy fields at sundown undertulsiplant during Kati Bihu.

Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu is all about festivity. Celebrated in mid-January Magh bihu marks the end of harvesting cycle and celebrates the bounty. During this two-day festival people of the same locality or village gather to have a feast together. As a ritual of Magh Bihu, villagers build a tiered wooden structure called meji. This structure is eventually set on fire in the presence of the village elders.