Bihu, Assam

Editorial Staff February 18, 2023 Colors of India Leave a comment 373 Views

Bihu is a cultural festival that is celebrated in Assam and by the Assamese diaspora all over the world. There are three types of Bihu festivals that take place in Assam every year. The first one is in April and is known as Bihu festival. The second one is in the middle of January and is called Maagh, while the third one takes place in the middle of October and is known as Kaati. These festivals have been celebrated in Assam for a long time, and farmers consider them to be of special significance.

Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu is the most important and colorful Bihu festival of all. It is celebrated throughout Assam and among people of all religions and castes, making it a secular festival that promotes peace, brotherhood, and humanity. This festival is also the beginning of the agricultural season and continues for seven days. The seven days are divided into Chot Bihu, Goru Bihu, Manuh Bihu, Kutum Bihu, Senehi Bihu, Mela Bihu, and Chera Bihu.

Rongali Bihu, which falls in mid-April, celebrates the onset of the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. It marks the first day of the Hindu solar calendar and is also celebrated in other parts of India like Mithila, Bengal, Manipur, Nepal, Orissa, Punjab, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu under different names. During this time, farmers prepare their fields for cultivation, and there is a feeling of joy all around.

Women play a vital role in this festival, making traditional food like pitha, larus, and Jolpan that give a real essence of the season. The first day of the Bihu is known as Goru Bihu, where cows are washed and worshipped. It falls on the last day of the previous year, usually on April 14. The second day, known as Manuh Bihu, falls on April 15, the New Year Day. People celebrate this day by getting cleaned up, wearing new clothes, and preparing to face the new year with renewed energy. The third day is called Gosai Bihu, where statues of Gods worshipped in all households are cleaned and worshipped, asking for a smooth new year.

Apart from being a harvest festival, Rongali Bihu is also a fertility festival. The Bihu dance performed by young women involves sensuous movements using the hips and arms, calling out to celebrate their fertility. In this aspect, the Bihu dance can also be called a mating ritual by young men and women.

In summary, Bihu is a festival that is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy in Assam. Rongali Bihu, the most popular Bihu festival, is celebrated during mid-April and marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. This seven-day festival involves various rituals and traditions that promote unity, brotherhood, and peace among people of all religions and castes.