Bihu Festival
Bihu is the most important and widely celebrated festival of Assam, deeply connected with the agrarian lifestyle, culture, and identity of the Assamese people. It is not a single event but a group of three seasonal festivals that mark key phases of the agricultural cycle and the passage of time. These are Rongali Bihu, Kongali Bihu, and Bhogali Bihu. Together, they reflect joy, hope, gratitude, and resilience rooted in everyday rural life.
Rongali Bihu, also known as Bohag Bihu, is the most popular and vibrant of the three. Celebrated in mid-April, it marks the Assamese New Year and the beginning of the sowing season. This Bihu is associated with renewal, happiness, and social bonding. People wear traditional attire, with women dressed in mekhela chador and men in dhoti and gamosa. The air fills with the rhythm of Bihu dance and folk music, accompanied by instruments like the dhol, pepa, and taal. Young people gather in open fields to dance, sing, and celebrate, while elders bless the younger generation for a prosperous year ahead.
Kongali Bihu, or Kati Bihu, is observed in mid-October during a lean period in the agricultural calendar. Unlike the joyful celebrations of Rongali Bihu, this festival is quiet and reflective. Farmers pray for the protection of their crops and hope for a good harvest. Earthen lamps are lit in paddy fields, granaries, and near sacred plants like tulsi. The simple rituals of Kongali Bihu symbolize faith, patience, and the struggle of rural life during uncertain times.
Bhogali Bihu, also known as Magh Bihu, is celebrated in mid-January after the harvest is complete. It is a festival of abundance, food, and community feasting. People prepare traditional delicacies such as pitha, laru, and chira, using freshly harvested rice. On the night before the festival, communities gather to build temporary huts called bhelaghar and enjoy bonfires known as meji. The next morning, the huts are burned as an offering to the fire god, followed by prayers and grand feasts. This Bihu reflects gratitude for nature’s generosity and the joy of sharing.
Bihu is more than a festival; it is a cultural expression that unites people across caste, creed, and age. It celebrates harmony between humans and nature and preserves Assam’s rich folk traditions. Through its dances, music, rituals, and food, Bihu continues to strengthen the social fabric of Assamese society and keeps its heritage alive in a rapidly changing world.