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Bihu
Festival
Bihu
anondia, Bihu binondia
Bihur mou mitha hat
Bihur ba lagi bihua
kokair e
Deu dhoni laguse gat.
(Bihu
is full of joy, Bihu
is beautiful,
Bihu songs are very
sweet, when the winds
of Bihu flow
The dancing spirit possesses
one’s body).
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Origin of Festival
Originating
in the pre-Aryan days
around 3500 b.c., the
festival of Bihu used
to last for a whole
month, though nowadays
work pressure has reduced
it to a week. A no holds
barred dancing session
is the most intriguing
part of the festival
and symbolises the fertility
rites of the original
inhabitants of the hilly
regions of the northeast
in India. The farmers
fancied that the erotic
content of the songs
would sexually arouse
the earth’s body,
leading to an abundant
harvest.
Bihag
Bihu or Rangoli Bihu,
the first of the three
Bihus, is celebrated
in the month of April
on the dates coinciding
with the sankranti,
chait or baisak (13,
14 and 15 April)
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Festival
Celebration During The
Assamese New Year
According
to the solar calendar
that the Assamese follow,
the New Year usually
falls on 14th April.
Brilliantly-coloured
flowers and luxuriant
foliage dress the whole
of Assam in all the
hues of the rainbow
during the month of
April. An abundance
of kopoful (orchids),
mostly purple in colour,
in unusual shapes and
sizes dot the trees,
and the bhebel creepers
are in full bloom creating
an enchanting kaleidoscope
of colours. No one can
fault the Assamese his
choice of seasons for
the Bihu festivals.
The
vivid attire of the
Assamese youth and the
colourful accessories
like kopoful adorning
the hair of the young
lasses blend with the
hues of nature, spreading
joy and good cheer.
The day is marked with
dancing, though restricted
exclusively to men,
who participate with
unbridled enthusiasm
and energy. But the
winds of change have
blown through this remote
state also. Surrendering
to contemporary trends,
youngsters gather in
the town centre and
learn the steps from
an old hand much in
demand on this day.
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Gomacha
Weaving for Dance
Assamese
women are experts at
weaving the gomacha,
a towel with intricately
woven designs, ceremonially
presented as any bihu
(bihu presents) to the
men of the family. A
young girl too may gift
these beautiful souvenirs
to her beau as a token
of love. Young lads
love to flaunt their
prizes by tying them
around their waist or
as headbands while dancing.
But things start warming
up as the Bihu Dals
approach.
Now a few words about
the bihu dals. They
are wandering minstrels
who come visiting through
the week, dancing and
singing devotional songs
(hosari) in praise of
Lord Krishna (the black
god of the Hindus),
invoking his blessings
for health, wealth and
happiness. They sing
to the accompaniment
of an eclectic collection
of musical instruments
like the dhol (drum),
pepa (made of buffalo
horn), gogona (made
from bamboo and held
between the teeth) and
small cymbals. Bihu
dals along with other
groups gather in open
grounds called bihu
tolis where dancing
competitions and beauty
pageants are held, and
the winners get to see
their names in print
in the local newspapers.
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Garur
Bihu
The first day or garur
bihu also called uraka
falls on the day of
sankranti and is devoted
to the cow that is considered
to be a sacred animal
in India. The rationale
behind the worshipping
of cows is very simple.
They are the greatest
assets of a farmer because
not only do they produce
milk but also help plough
fields, transport men,
crop and so on. A lot
of tender, loving care
is showered on cows
on this day, starting
with bathing them in
the pond. The horns
and hooves are brushed
with whisks made from
deegloti or makheatr
(lilsoca salocrfolea).
A mixture of twigs,
turmeric and moong dal
(pulses) acts as a disinfectant,
and is applied as a
paste. A hearty meal
of gourd and brinjal
is fed to the cows after
which their foreheads
are marked with vermilion.
As the night falls,
the tired but satiated
cows are led back to
their sheds and thoroughly
cleansed. Only then
does the household sit
down for a sumptuous
meal of assorted preparations
of chirwa (flat rice)
and a mind-boggling
array of sweets.
The
following day is welcomed
as manuhor bihu or the
bihu of human beings.
The Assamese celebrate
their New Year on this
day. A lavish feast
called bihu kabo loi
is laid out for the
day and married daughters
along with other relatives
are invited to partake
of the meal. On this
day, delicacies such
as pitha (made from
rice and coconut), laddoo
(made from shredded
coconut) and til laddoo
(made from sesame seed)
are prepared. of course,
no festival in India
is complete without
buying new clothes and
Bihu is no exception.
Everyone receives gomachas
as presents from the
ladies of the house.
Women look very graceful
in their new mekhele
chadar, woven with the
golden-coloured muga
silk that is indigenous
to Assam. The chic look
is completed with the
accessories like gumkham
bracelets made from
an alloy of silver and
gold nuggets found in
the rivers.
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Gabhori
Bihu
Gabhori
bihu falls on the third
day of the festival
and is earmarked as
the day for young ladies.
The fair maidens of
Assam look gorgeous
in their muga silk wear
and ornate gumkham bracelets.
The orchids adorning
the hair of the ladies
add a whimsical touch
to the formality of
the outfit. Swaying
to the beat of the toka
(drum) and gogona (made
from bamboo held between
the teeth), the women
dance the night away
under the gentle breeze
of banyan trees. Couplets
are created spontaneously.
Starting with a slow
tempo, the rhythm builds
up to a crescendo. Once
the merrymaking is over,
it is customary to present
fermented betel leaves
over a gomacha to the
dancers. On the final
day, the festivities
end on a religious note
wherein families inscribe
a mantra (religious
hymn of the Hindus)
on the leaves of nahar
pat (Indian ironwood
tree). Through this
mantra, Lord Shiva (the
Destroyer in the Holy
Hindu Trinity of Creator-Preserver-Destroyer)
is invoked to protect
everyone against disease,
storms and rain, and
to bring peace and prosperity
in the forthcoming year.
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Kati
Bihu
The
second bihu named kati
bihu or kangali bihu
is held in the month
of kartik (September
or October). But there
is a world of difference
in the celebration of
this bihu from the former.
Slowly but surely, winter
is approaching, heralding
the season for sowing
seeds.
This
is a solemn occasion
as people worship the
deities for a rich harvest.
The young learn to value
hard work so that they
do not squander money
away.
Predictably enough,
this bihu is dedicated
to the worship of none
other than Goddess Lakshmi
who is the dispenser
of wealth to mortals.
As night falls, lamps
are lit in the paddy
fields where farmers
have toiled through
the day. At the end
of a hard day’s
work, all the members
of a family pray to
the benign Goddess for
the well-being of their
crop and cattle.
Sacred to the Hindus,
the tulsi (basil) tree
is planted or pruned
in the courtyard of
each household. Water
is poured over the plant
with great reverence
after puja is performed
every day.
The medicinal properties
of tulsi are well known
the world over; the
age-old recipe of tulsi
leaves mixed with a
few grains of black
pepper and misri (sugar
in the form of crystals)
is a surefire way to
stay in good health.
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Magh
Bihu
The
Magh bihu that generally
falls on 14th January
on the sankranti of
the month, is the third
bihu that calls for
a grand celebration
in Assamese homes. This
is again a joyous occasion
as the granaries are
stocked with the recently
harvested crop. Seven
days of non-stop fun
and frolic mark this
festival. But the best
thing about this bihu
is the elaborate and
sumptious cuisine that
is prepared. This grand
feast known as bhog
is held on the night
of the first
day of the festival
that is also called
uruka. |
Khel
Dhemali-(Fun Games)
If
you are an outdoor person
who enjoys sports of
all kinds, Assam is
the place to be in at
this time of the year.
Everyone indulges in
khel dhemali (fun and
games). Each village
holds its share of fights
between various creatures,
big and small including
cockfights and buffalo
fights, for the entertainment
of the locals. An inexpensive
way to have fun, though
the poor animals might
beg to differ. The chilly
winters offer the best
excuse to light bonfires
in the great outdoors
and dance around them
with gay abandon. All
this is reminiscent
of the festivals of
Lohri in Punjab, Pongal
in Tamil Nadu and Goopi
in Andhra Pradesh, which
is not surprising as
sankranti is a time
for festivals all over
India. |
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