Bihu In Assam: A Crash Course Of What To Expect During This Spring Festival

Bihu in Assam | It’s that time of the year when the vibrant-hued sky, blossoms in the trees and rolling green meadows display a rainbow of colour and renewed cycle of life. As the cold, dry and dust-laden air gives way to balmy hues, many States gear up for their revered spring festivals ushering in the spirit of bonhomie and fervour.

Itineraries are being drawn for the spring break. Those on the lookout to experience one of the most immersive spring harvest festivals should consider Assam, as the gateway to the Northeast is all set to celebrate Bohag Bihu that augments the onset of spring and the Assamese New Year. Bihu is the perfect time to explore the music, colourful dance forms, food, traditional sports and crafts, and everything the region has to offer.

Rongali Bihu in Assam and the Many Hues of Spring

“Assam is an unexplored treasure trove. It has an other-worldly charm. And to know more about its natural beauty and its ever so delightful culture, one should visit Assam during spring. The spring-time festival known popularly as Rongali Bihu is an illuminating record of the socio-cultural heritage of the people of Assam that has come through tradition down to our present times,” observes Shyamkanu Mahanta, the person behind the pre-Bihu extravaganza “Rongali” which has been running successfully for the eight edition, while speaking to Outlook Traveller. The festival is about showcasing the ways of life of the ethnic and cultural mosaic of Assam and Northeast and is a grand celebration of the unique music, dance, and food culture of the state.

Bihu is the festival of hope and happiness and is the time when a mix of various tribes and communities of Assam come together under one platform. Here are a few basics one needs to know to navigate the cultural mosaic of the grand celebration.

‘B’asics of Bihu

B for Bohag Bihu

Bohag or Rongali Bihu (rongali means "conglomeration of colours") is the most prominent of all the three Bihu that Assam celebrates. This vibrant spring festival is celebrated in every part of Assam in mid-April, starting on the 14th of the month. Every city, town, district and village is resplendent with the song of the kuli sorai (koyel) and kopou phool (foxtail orchid). There is merriment and fun in the air, feasting at homes and celebration in community pandals. Hence the endearing term rongali showcasing the spirit of the people of Assam. It is a celebration of Assam’s beauty, and the wonderful diversity of its people and culture.

The main days observed during this festival are Goru Bihu, for worship and upkeep of cattle with symbolic herbs; and Manuh Bihu, when offerings are made to ancestors and blessings are sought from elders. People have a special bath with the traditional paste of maah halodhi (black gram and turmeric paste), put on new clothes, and light an earthen lamp at the Goxai ghor (prayer place). Later, people visit elders and seek their blessings by presenting them with gamusa (rectangular handwoven cotton cloth as a sign of respect); traditional meals and pitha pona are also shared. 

Bohagi Bidai marks the wrapping up of the celebrations with solemn prayers for the year ahead.

B for Bordoisila

Experienced every year in the spring, the pre-monsoon season or Bordoisila refers to the wild wind that lashes through Assam. It is accompanied by heavy rains and thunderstorms announcing the beginning of monsoon. The storm, which occurs annually, brings with it the spring season of merriment and celebration. Bordoisila represents the Nature Goddess and as per lore, her visit to her mother’s home marks the beginning of Bohag. During this time, Assam glimmers with lush green cover all around.

B for Bihutoli

The festival is celebrated with cultural events and competitions in outdoor locales in a fair-like atmosphere at community platforms (pandals) or bihutoli. Here, traditional and ethnic dances and music, particularly the popular Bihu dance, are performed; choicest of food counters whip up local delicacies; and the best of handlooms and crafts are displayed. This is aimed at fostering an atmosphere of brotherhood and inclusion of all the ethnic people of the State.

B for Bor Bihu

No Rongali Bihu is complete without Bihu songs that are a vibrant expression of Assam’s rich cultural heritage. In an exclusive conversation with Outlook Traveller, popular Bihu singer Abhishruti Bezbaruah, whose mesmerising Bihu melodies are chartbusters, says, “Bor Bihu is a traditional Bihu folk composition which is a superlative expression of the infectious energy that Bohag Bihu brings in by blending traditional lyrics that have passed down from generations. Deeply tied to the festival of Bihu, Bor Bihu songs celebrate love, joy, and the rhythms of nature. These folk songs are inspired from nature and are traditionally accompanied by the dhol, pepa, and gogona, creating an infectious energy that brings people together in dance and festivity.”  

B for Bihuwan

The traditional weave of Assam—the white and red Gamusa—is a symbol of pride and is an indispensable part of indigenous Assamese life and culture. Gamusa is a specially woven scarf or a ceremonial patch often made by rural women on handlooms, and has a distinctive symbolic significance. While seeking the blessings from the elders or as a gesture of respect, the gamusa is presented as bihuwan to be worn as a symbol of cultural pride.

The Bihuwan holds cultural importance. The intricacy of its motifs symbolically and historically herald the ideas of friendship, love, warmth and hospitality.

B for Bora Saul

This is a type of glutinous rice cultivated in Assam. It is a staple traditional Bihu dish served at home, and at ethnic diners and community places. Bohag Bihu sans this sticky grain is unimaginable as it forms the main ingredient of the delectable pitha (rice cakes) and special dishes like sungat diya saul (sticky rice in bamboo hollow), jolpan (sticky rice with curd, cream and jaggery), and other traditional delicacies prepared during the festivities. Days before Bihu, every kitchen buzzes with feverish activity as these special dishes are lovingly prepared.