The rhythmic sound of kham, siphung, jhota, serja, jabsing (Bodo traditional musical instruments) grips the air in different nook and corner of Bodo belts as people celebrate the Rongjali Bwisagu.
Flavour of music and dance were visible everywhere as people, young and old, men-women alike were seen merry making celebrating the spring festival, singing and dancing to the tune of kham, sifing, serja, jabsring etc singing Baisagu songs.
In many parts, young boys and girls, elderly men and woman, in groups, were seen visiting door-to-door in village singing and dancing begging as is the tradition.
The All Bodo Students Union (ABSU) also celebrated the festival by organizing an open bwisagu at Kokrajhar District Sports Association (KDSA) ground in Kokrajhar on Tuesday where people from all walk of life – in colourful traditional attire – dokhna, jwmgra, aronai – were seen participating in the celebration, singing and dancing to the beat of music.
The entire atmosphere was surcharged with rhythmic sounds of kham, siphung, serja, zabkring and thorka, etc singing sweet Baisagu songs sung by the Bodo boys and girls.
The ABSU emphasized on the need of community participation to keep alive the old age tradition of Bwisagu celebration.
Bwisagu or Baisagu is one of the most popular seasonal festival of the Bodos of Assam that correspondents Bihu of the Assamese people.
The Bodos call this popular festival as Baisagu, which means the start of the new year.
Baisagu is a Boro word which originated from the word ‘Baisa’ which means year or age, and ‘Agu’ means starting or start.
Hence, Baisagu is the starting time of the year or age.
This Baisagu festival is observed at the starting part of the first month of the Assamese (first week of the month of Bohag).