Bihu 2020: It is that time of the year when the whole nation gets decked up for fun, frolics, food and festivities. In not even a week and we are all set to celebrate the harvest festival that has various names in various parts of the country, and in Assam, they call it Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi. Bihu, Assam's pride and brightest festival, identifies the state's integrity and infectious energy. The word 'Bihu' is believed to have originated from the word 'Bishu' that means 'to ask for peace'. Magh Bihu is the celebration of harvest in Assam, which is concluded with lighting a bonfire (Meji) and praying the God of fire.
Bihu 2020 Date:
This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January, Thursday. The word ‘Bhog' stands for eating and this is what the ‘Bhogali Bihu' all about, along with the enjoyment a festival offers. Magh Bihu celebrations start on the last day of the previous month, ‘Pooh'. As a part of the celebration, people erect makeshift huts, also known as Meji or Bhelaghar, with bamboo, leaves and thatch, and eat the food they prepare in those huts. Next morning, they burn the Meji, giving a ceremonial conclusion to the festival. The celebrations also feature traditional Assamese games such as tekeli bhonga, which is pot-breaking and buffalo fighting. People take a bath after waking up the next morning of Bhogali Bihu and the Meji is burnt. Next, the ritual of offering prayers to God is performed. People carry half-burnt pieces of firewood to throw on the fruit trees, hoping for good yields. Paddy stems or bamboo strips are used for tying the trees in a compound.
Bihu Festival Special Food:
(Also Read: Happy Bohag Bihu: Of Festivities & Traditional Assamese Food)
As mentioned earlier, Bhogali Bihu is all about ‘bhog' or eating. Hence, the main attraction of the festival is the foods that people prepare for the celebration. During Magh Bihu, people of Assam make rice cakes with various names such as Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha etc. and some other sweets of coconut called Laru. In fact, pitha is such an essential tradition of Bihu that Bihu and pitha are often synonymous. Pithas are traditional Assamese sweetmeats prepared usually from rice flour and other indigenous ingredients like jaggery, coconut, sugar etc. The various kinds of pithas are til (sesame) pitha, Narikol (coconut) pitha, Tekeli pitha, Ghila pitha, Sunga pitha, Kholasapori pitha, Lau (gourd) pitha, and Kolpat pitha.
Laru is also one of the delicacies that are very famous during Magh Bihu. It is basically laddu made out of different ingredients like sesame (til laru), coconut, murmura or puffed rice (muri laru), and rice flour (gura laru).
Sandoh Guri is termed to be one of the tastemakers of Magh Bihu. It is made out of rice flour and consumed with milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Rice flour obtained after grinding fried rice and consumed with milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Sandoh Guri is also a very popular breakfast that is consumed with black tea. Other delicacies of Bhogali Bihu are Maah Korai (soaked black sesame seeds, bora saul, gram or maah, chana fried and flavoured with mustard oil, ginger and salt) and Jolpan (platter).
Hence, if you travel to Assam during the time of Magh Bihu, do not forget to experience the state's energy to the fullest! Happy Magh Bihu 2020!