Assam: Jamugurihat man preserves over 100 makhiwati plants to sustain goru bihu tradition

At a time when traditional practices are gradually fading from rural Assam, a man from Agripam village in Jamugurihat has taken a significant step by preserving over 100 makhiwati plants—an essential part of Goru Bihu rituals.
 

Makhiwati (scientific name: Flemingia strobilifera) is a medicinal shrub native to Southeast Asia and holds cultural significance in Assam.
 

Goru Bihu, observed on the eve of Rongali Bihu, is dedicated to cattle, which play a vital role in the state’s agrarian life. A key ritual of the day involves using the branches and leaves of the makhiwati plant to gently guide cattle back home in the evening, while chanting traditional lines like, “Makhiwati makhipat, makhi maro jakjak.”
 

Once widely available in forests, bushes, and household backyards, the makhiwati plant is now becoming increasingly rare, with many from the younger generation unaware of its cultural importance.
 

In response to this decline, Hem Bahadur Karki, a resident of the village aged over 45, has been conserving the plant in his home garden for several years. He has nurtured more than 100 makhiwati plants within his premises, ensuring their availability, especially during Goru Bihu.
 

Karki said his primary aim is to familiarise the younger generation with the plant and its significance in Assamese traditions. On Goru Bihu, many cattle owners visit his home to collect branches and leaves for use in the rituals.
 

His efforts have been widely appreciated by locals, who see this initiative as a meaningful step towards preserving a disappearing element of Assam’s cultural heritage.