Bihu is Assam's most beloved festival and it is the pride of the whole community. Magh Bihu has a truly infectious energy that every Assamese holds in high esteem.
There is now a rush to embrace Bhogali in Assam. Youths are busy building ‘Bhelaghar’ in their hamlet. The cultural mind of every has come to life. Here we welcome you to the Boitamari village of Assam’s Bongaigaon.
“We, the Salguri villagers, hope that this Magh Bihu brings all the happiness to the people of Assam. This year our theme is Peeta Bhishma, who was the son of the illustrious king Santanu and Goddess Ganga. We are also trying to make bullock carts and tools that Assamese used during cultivation. Bihu dance by the locals will be the main attraction this year. Assamese Bihu festivities are popular, with 'pitha-pona-laroo' (Assamese delicacies prepared during Bihu festivities) and a variety of other food items”, a local said.
'Pithas' are traditional Assamese sweetmeats that are the most important delicacy at a Bihu feast. Pithas, which are often made from rice flour and other indigenous ingredients, are significant to Assamese culinary tradition. Nothing matches the Chaska of a steaming cup of Assam tea with a few pithas and munchies on the side.
Community feasting is the ethos that is at the core of Magh Bihu as a celebration that holds the greater attention of the Assamese community and celebrates a successful crop. On the day before Bihu, known as Uruka, family and neighbour hoods gather to share a substantial, wholesome meal amid all joy and warmth. The Bihu eve rendezvous is generally held in a temporary hut made of bamboo and straw.
The construction of a huge temperorary hutment or shack, known as the 'Bhelaghar', is a joy in and of itself. Days before the Bihu festivities, young people take an active role by collecting bamboo, straw, and other materials to shape the traditional Bhelaghar. The Meji is similarly constructed with painstaking attention by the people to be burnt and destroyed.