Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu is celebrated annually in the second week of April, signifying the time of the harvest season. Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. The festival is celebrated with great joy and fervour in Assam and elsewhere in Northeastern India by the members of the Assamese community. This year, Bohag Bihu is being celebrated on April 14. Bohag or Rongali Bihu also goes by the name Xaat Bihu.
The regional holiday of Bohag Bihu brings together the people of different Assamese communities and also promotes the celebration of ethnic diversity.
Bohag Bihu is one of the three important festivals of Assam and a public holiday is also witnessed in the neighbouring state of Arunachal Pradesh.
There are three different types of Bihu celebrated by the Assamese people depending on the crop season, and Bohag Bihu is the most important out of all three.
Rongali or Bohag Bihu is celebrated on April 14 and the celebration goes on for seven days. These seven days are ‘Garu Bihu’, ‘Manuh Bihu’, ‘Guxai Bihu’, ‘Taator Bihu’, ‘Nangolor Bihu’, ‘Gharosia Jibar Bihu’, and ‘Chera Bihu’.
Bohag Bihu History
It is believed that the festival of Bohag Bihu came into existence when the Assamese people started tilling the lands in the Brahmaputra valley for the purpose of their sustenance.
Bohag Bihu Significance
The festival of Bohag Bihu holds a lot of significance for the Assamese people and the farming community of Assam. Farmers express gratitude and thank the god for a good harvesting season, while also praying for a better crop in the upcoming season. Bohag Bihu is the first day of the New year according to the Assamese calendar. Bohag Bihu also signifies the onset of the spring season.
Bohag Bihu celebrations
The members of the Assamese community come together and perform a Bihu dance while singing the Bihu song. Many people also put on new clothes to celebrate the festival. Traditional dishes like Larus, Pitha and Xaak are also prepared for feasting with family and friends.
