The beginning of the New Year starts with the celebration of harvesting season in the month of January.
The harvest festival is celebrated by different names across the country whether be it Magh Bihu in Assam, Lohri in Punjab, Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Makar Sankranti or Poush Sankranti in Odisha, West Bengal and Uttarayan in Gujarat.
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The Magh Bihu is an auspicious festival celebrated to mark the harvesting season in the month of Magh (January – February) in the state of Assam.
It is the time of the year when people rejoice sing, dance, make merry, have feast with family and friends, prepare assamese delicacies like pitha.
Apart from Magh Bihu, Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu is celebrated in the month of April and Kati Bihu is celebrated in the month of October. This year Magh Bihu is being observed in January 14.
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History
According to some scholars, the history of Bihu dates back to ancient times (3500 BC) when people made fire sacrifices for better harvest.
It is said that the festival originated from the times of Dimasa Kacharis, an agrarian tribe who lived in the northeastern part of the world thousands of years back.
As per Vishnu Puran, there was a festival called Bisuva in ancient times which was celebrated when the sun changed its position from one sign of the Hindu zodiac calendar to another. Bihu is said to be the modern version of Bisuva festival.
Celebration
The celebration of Magh Bihu starts with the construction of makeshift huts called Meji and Bhelaghar from bamboo, leaves and thatch in the day of Uruka or Bihu Eve . On this day, women cook a feast from Assamese food delicacies like pitha prepared out of rice flour, chira, laru and doi. At night the people prepare ‘Bhuj’ or feast to relish it with their family and friends and enjoy a good time with their dear ones.
On the second day at the early dawn, the makeshift huts known as Meji is lit to fire or burnt and bonfires are set up in the paddy field as people pray to their ancestral Gods. The makeshift huts are burnt by people on this day as part of the ritual of Meji Jwaluwa. The bonfires are usually made with fireword, green bamboo and dried Banana leaves. The people celebrate the festival by cooking various assamese traditional dishes prepares with various fish, chicken, pork, duck, mutton curries along with Rice Beer. The festival is synonymous with great food and pithas or rice cakes made of rice flour, til (sesame) and jaggery are prepared on this day.