Bjalai Police Bihu
Bjalai Police personnel celebrating Rongali Bihu. Image credit - Northeast Now

Rongali Bihu is the biggest festival of Assam, which is celebrated to welcome spring.

Due to lockdown in the wake of COVID-19 outbreak, the people of the state failed to celebrate Bihu like the previous years.

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The situation arising out of COVID-19 pandemic has changed several things this year even the way of celebrations.

For the first time, the celebration of Rongali Bihu in Assam was a silent affair due to the extended nationwide lockdown.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced a 21-day nationwide lockdown from March 24 midnight as a preventive measure to contain the spread of coronavirus (COVID19), which was supposed to end on April 14.

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But following suggestions from the chief ministers of the states during interactions via video conferencing with Prime Minister Modi recently, the PM on Tuesday announced that the nationwide lockdown would continue up to May 3.

To strictly enforce the lockdown, the Bajali Police personnel had to remain on duty on Tuesday, the first day of the Rongali Bihu.

But they found out a way to celebrate the Bihu while doing duty amid lockdown.

They celebrated Bihu at Pathsala, the headquarters of Bajali sub-division in Barpeta district, by maintaining lockdown norms.

They sang Bihu songs and performed Bihu dance by maintaining social distancing, wearing masks and Assamese gamosa at Pathsala police outpost premises.

Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu also marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year.

The Bihu celebrations start with Goru Bihu when cattle are cleaned.

Similar scene was seen in Guwahati where city traffic police personnel were seen celebrating Bihu while doing duty amid lockdown.

Some of the Guwahati Traffic Police personnel were seen celebrating Bihu under the overbridge at Ganeshguri area.

While some of the police personnel sang Bihu songs, one of them beat the dhol and others danced matching the beats of the dhol.