Watch | Assam's Kaliabor village keeps Goru Bihu traditions alive with handmade ropes

The festive spirit of Rongali Bihu has begun to take over Assam, with preparations in full swing across villages as people gear up to celebrate the Assamese New Year.

Alongside Bihu dance and dhol workshops being organised in various places, households are witnessing a surge in activity, with women busy preparing traditional delicacies like pitha and laru, keeping alive the rich culinary heritage of the festival.

The celebrations commence with Goru Bihu, a day dedicated to cattle, considered an integral part of agrarian life. On this day, cows are ceremonially bathed with a mixture of turmeric and black gram, and later brought back home in the evening, where they are tied with new ropes as part of the ritual.

While in earlier times, ropes used for tying cattle were traditionally handmade in almost every household, the practice has gradually faded with time.

However, in a heartening example of preserving tradition, residents of Silabandha village in Kaliabor continue to craft ropes made of jute fibre, ensuring that their cattle are adorned with newly made ties on Goru Bihu, thus keeping the age-old customs alive.