16 Facts About Bihu

The Rongali Bihu is the most important of the three, celebrating spring festival.

The Bhogali Bihu or the Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, with community feasts.

The Kongali Bihu or the Kati Bihu is the sombre, thrifty one reflecting a season of short supplies and is an animistic festival.

Rongali Bihu coincides the Assamese New year and as well as with other regions of Indian subcontinent, East Asia and South-East Asia, which follow the Hindu calendar and Buddhist calendar.

Three Bihu are Assamese festivals elders in family, fertility and mother goddess, but the celebrations and rituals reflect influences from Southeast Asia and Sino-Tibetan cultures.

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The original form of Bihu continue among the Chutias, Sonowal Kacharis and Deoris.

In early texts, Bohag Bihu celebrations started from the first week of Chaitra month.

The festivities of Bohag Bihu continued for a week and ended with the rite by which the goddess was bid farewell.

Later, in the 19th century, this form of Bihu dance was adopted by the other communities as well and started being performed in Mahguli sapori, Dhakuakhana by Chutias, Sonowals, Deoris, Ahoms, Mishing, etc.

Ahom King Rudra Singha gave patronage to Bihu and was the first one to celebrate Bihu in the courtyard.

Faat Bihu: This is a very old form of Bihu, characterized by spontaneity, popular in the Lakhimpur area of Assam.

Jeng Bihu: This is Bihu dance and song performed and watched only by women.

The stage form of Bihu has become so popular, that organizers have begun extending the celebrations to bohagi bidai, or farewell to the Bohag month, which is similar performances held a month later.

Kongali Bihu has a different flavor as there is less merriment and the atmosphere has a sense of constraining and solemnity.

Kati Bihu is known as Kati Gasa by the Bodo people and Gathi Sainjora by the Dimasa people.

Bhogali Bihu comes from the word Bhog that is eating and enjoyment.