Bihu festival. Things you must know about Bihu, Assam’s harvest festival 2022-10-05
Bihu festival Rating:
9,3/10
810
reviews
Bihu is a festival celebrated in the state of Assam in northeastern India. It is a celebration of the new year, as well as a celebration of the agricultural season. There are three Bihu festivals that are celebrated throughout the year: Rongali Bihu, Kongali Bihu, and Bhogali Bihu.
Rongali Bihu, also known as the Bohag Bihu, is the most important and widely celebrated Bihu festival. It is celebrated in April, marking the beginning of the Assamese new year and the start of the agricultural season. Rongali Bihu is a celebration of the coming of spring, and is a time of joy and merriment. People dress up in traditional clothes and participate in various activities such as dancing and singing.
Kongali Bihu, also known as the Kati Bihu, is celebrated in October. It is a time when the agricultural season is coming to an end, and is a time of reflection and introspection. People offer prayers to the gods for a successful harvest and light lamps to mark the end of the season.
Bhogali Bihu, also known as the Magh Bihu, is celebrated in January. It is a time of feasting and enjoyment, as people come together to share food and celebrate the end of the winter season. Bonfires are lit and people participate in various activities such as wrestling and archery.
Bihu is an important cultural festival in Assam, and is celebrated with great enthusiasm and joy. It is a time for people to come together and celebrate the abundance of the land, as well as the start of a new year. The festival is also an opportunity for people to reaffirm their cultural traditions and values, and to preserve the rich cultural heritage of the state.
Bihu 2023 : Date and Schedule of Bohag Bihu and Magh Bihu
There is less merriment amongst the observing folks — as the festival is all about the constraining conditions of the month. In the local dialect, Kongali means poor as the storehouses are empty without grains at this time of the year. Children and elders are presented with new clothes as a token of love and affection. Why is Bihu called Bhogali? As the granaries of Assam are overflowing this month, people tend to do a lot of feasting. Bihu, a tri-annual festival celebrated in the state of Assam is the best occasion to sample the cultural landscape of the tea capital.
However, Makar Sankranti is known by different names in different parts of the country and includes local delicacies. Manuah Bihu is the following day of Bohag Bihu. The Seven Days of Bihu: 1. Later, they throw Pithas rice cakes and betel nuts in the fire. It gives a chance to celebrate unity through the exchange of greetings and home-cooked food. Next morning was Bihu.
Bihu festival: History & Meaning of Assamese Bihu Festival
After that, people go back to their homes and take along the half-burnt firewood with them. Now it is ready to get rolled after this process. At Dusk, the cattle are paraded back to their ranches. Another highlight of this festival is a bamboo hat known as the Japi. This is one of the most important rituals and the towel is worn on the head and body.
Bihu Festival: Latest News, Photos, Videos on Bihu Festival
Bihu is a regional public holiday for Assamese: Rongali Bihu is assigned 3 days off, Magh Bihu 2 days off, and Kati Bihu 1 day off. Once in a while, one of the men there- we called them all uncles- would pretend he did not have a glass, when he felt the eyes of his shawl covered wife boring into him. Bihu Festival — Origin and Significance The history of Bihu can be traced to the ancient amalgamation of Assamese Traditions celebrating a good harvest. I would stop and stare at the crisscrossed pile of logs that father would have formed into what we call a "meji". Additionally, the name Bihu refers to Bihu dance, also known as Bihu Naas, and Bihu folk music, also known as Bihu Geet. Both parties and even the state's people however wanted the elections to take place before the. All the people in the village have dinner here.
Mother would cover her head with a shawl; light an earthern diya, agarbatti and offer paan, betelnut and a gamosa. The Japi The Japi is a hat made of bamboo with a wide brim and colorful designs on it. After washing the cattle, the remaining branches of dighloti-makhioti and lau-bengena chat etc. On this day, people make a temporary camp with paddy straw in an open space called Bhelaghar. So, this ancient festival is regarded as a variant of the actual Bisuva festival. Owing to this single most important fact, the New Year as per the Assamese calendar coincides with the beginning of the harvest season, which is also known as Bohag Bihu.
Each year, the Assamese people celebrate two more Bihu celebrations. During the two days of the celebration, people of a particular village or Khel come together to have a feast together. We believe you are going to fall in love with them all. Whatever the name of the festival, the idea is to celebrate the conclusion of the harvest season. Kati Bihu is also referred to as Kongali Bihu. The temporary huts Meji are burned on this day at the end of the ceremony. Another legend in relation to Bihu is the mention of the Bisuva festival in the religious text of Vishnu Puranam which was celebrated after winter season, right before the onset of spring.
Since scarcity is attached to this Bihu, there is no merriment or celebrations. Movements of the hips, wrists and arms in motions like twirls, squats and bends are very important to the dance. Since Magh Bihu is about celebrating a successful harvest, it involves traditional fish curry with elephant apple, duck meat fry, chicken with palang xak, olive jaggery chutney and more. Sources of Inspiration Known as Rongaali Bihu as well, the word Rongaali is derived from the Assamese word for joy i. The ruling BJP will try to retain power in the state while the Congress will try to win Assam back.
This step is necessary because it will not mix well with the flour until it melts completely. Image credits: Wikimedia Commons The Rongali Bihu falls on the Assamese New Year and the Hindu and Buddhist calendars in other parts of the Indian subcontinent, East Asia, and South-East Asia. Bihu festival comprising three celebrations that take place on different seasons of the year, enjoys recognition as the national festival of the state and is celebrated with great zeal and vibrancy to bring out the true nature of Assamese culture. The women wear a Mekhela which is a cylindrical garment that resembles a long skirt along with a Chador which is a drape for the upper body. Day 2 15th April 2023 : Manuh Bihu — New Year's Day On Hindu New Year's day, people take a traditional bath using turmeric and wear traditional clothes. It mainly reflects the agrarian culture and society of the Assamese community. Bihu is also one celebration associated with agriculture, which is celebrated in different provinces of India under different names.