Festivals of Assam

BIHU

Assam’s three Bihu festivals celebrate its agricultural cycle: Bhogali/Magh Bihu in January marks the end of the harvesting season which is celebrated with a riot of music, dance and feasting. The buffalo fight is the highlight of the event. Assam’s New Year, held in mid-April on Bohag Bihu, also heralds the start of the agricultural season. Kati Puja, celebrated during Kartik (November) marks the cutting and binding of grains, and is a more sombre affair.

BAISHAGU

Held in mid-April (Baisakh), Baishagu marks the New Year for the Bodo/Boro community of Assam. The festivities end with a community prayer of thanksgiving at a specified site known as Garjasal.

ALI-AI-LIGANG

This colourful annual festival marks the New Year for the Mishing tribe. Offerings of eggs and fish are presented to Donyi-Polo, as devotees seek the deity’s blessings for a good harvest and prosperity for the community. The five-day festivities take place each year on the first Wednesday of the month of Ginmur Polo or February-March. The young lads and girls of the community participate in the popular Gumrag dance.

RONGKER

Assam’s Karbi community in January/February welcomes the spring with prayers and feasting. The various deities are propitiated for a good harvest and the well-being of the community. The prayers are led by the male elders of the tribe.

RAJINI GABRA & HARNI GABRA

The cultivation season of the Dimasa tribe is marked by the joyfully celebrated annual festivities of Rajini Gabra & Harni Gabra. During the festivities, the headman shuts the village gates to stop any outsiders. It is considered inauspicious if anyone intrudes despite the gate being shut; the punishment for the intruder is to bear the cost of the festivities.

BAIKHO     

The Rabha community propitiates Baikho, the goddess of wealth, on this auspicious day for a good monsoon and bountiful harvest. Also known as Khoksi Puja, the Baikho festival is a spring festival and is generally confined to the community itself. One of the rituals involves a fire walk by the priest.

BOHAGGIYO BISHU  

This is the spring festival of the Deori community, which hails from the Chutia tribe. Held in the month of April it is marked by great energy in a grand extravaganza of rituals, song and dance and lavish feasting over seven days. Celebrated with great enthusiasm in Sivasagar, Nagaon, Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur, the festivities feature the popular Deodhani dance and Husori, a carol.

AMBUBASHI MELA  

The festival, held in mid-June during the monsoon season at Guwahati’s Kamakhya Temple, is marked by austere Tantric rites for three days. During this period the temple doors are shut as it is considered that the earth becomes impure. On the fourth day, the doors are opened to allow devotees to enter and worship Goddess Shakti. An important Hindu Shaktipeeth, the temple is also known as Yoni Pith and is said to be a tantric centre.