Bihu - Assam's heartbeat...

Many changes came in Bihu due to the present socio economic condition and relative life style changes of the general people. Modern Bihutolis are established as big Mandaps with lightning in urban areas. This has become a craze in Assam. Different Bihutolis are competeing with each other. Many shops are opened  around the Bihutolis during these days. There are commercial viewpoints behind modern day Bihu. Original rituals of Bihu are performed only in villages. Middle class people of urban areas are happy with Bihu dance of bihutoli mandap. This gradually became a song and dance festival. Some cassettes of songs are released. The songs are based on filmy pop music. These are very popular. Present Folk poets also write bihugaan on modern lifestyles, present needs and demands of the people. Previously men and women did not dance together. The example is Jeng Bihu where the girls dance in an open and secular place beside the river to fulfill their desire. Today Bihu is performed in th

    Bihu in Joymoti, 1935:  Joymoti is the first Assamese film, made in 1935 by Rupkonwar Jyotiprasad Agarwalla. Joymoti is a black and white film. In the film Joymoti bihu dance sequence is used. However here it is noted that the use of Japi, i.e. a bamboo made traditional headgear is used while dancing. The decorated Japi is used, where the decoration used is additional element to the traditional use of Japi. In the film, bihu dance is shown to be performed in the rajkareng, i.e. the royal palace of the Ahom kings. Bihu in Maniram Dewan, 1963: The film has music direction by Dr. Bhupen Hazarika and the dance direction was by Gopal Chattarjee. Bihu dance and songs are there in the film. In the very beginning of the film, the beginning music contains the bihu tones and rhythms music where modern instruments are used along with traditional dhol and bin. Rather orchestrated modern music instruments are played in the bihu part of the song along with the beats of folk bihu

Food and Bihu are almost like both sides of a coin. Here are some of the famous dishes that are made during this festival.    Coconut laddoo is a delicacy prepared with raw grated coconut and is quite popular during the festive season in India. The soft delectable coconut prepared with dry fruits and nuts impart it a distinct texture and taste, which makes it the perfect choice for a light dessert . Til Laddoo is mostly associated with Makar Sankranti which is also named as Til Sankranti by many communities, and on that day it is a ritual to have this Laddoo. Seasame ( Black or White ) is mixed with jaggery and made into small rounds. The flavor of jaggery and seasame is blend together to give a mild yet lingering taste. Til pitha is almost synonymous to Bihu as you cannot think of Bhogali Bihu without loads of til pitha. This traditional dish is not known to many except the Assamese community. This cylindrical shaped dessert is stuffed with til (sesame) and

Any traditional folk song and dance performance is never complete without music. Every part of India has their own lineage of traditional music and song, however when it comes to North Eastern part of India, not only are the music and art forms different , but also the very instruments used for creating the music is also very unique and beautiful. Let us now have a look at the various instruments used in the Bihu dance.    Dhol- Dhol is a traditional instrument that was commonly used by the Vaishnav’s in their religious ceremonies. However, the dhol is regarded as the most integral part of the Bihu celebrations. It is a two sided instrument that is played either with hands or bamboo sticks. The dhol traditionally is a wooden barrel with both the open ends covered with animal skin. The pitch of the dhol depends on how tightly the skin is fastened on both the end of the instrument. This instrument is used for maintaining the rhythm of the festival. Khol-  Khol is also a perc

Bihu is a very colourful festival of Assam. It is one of those rarest festivals, which is celebrated thrice in a year. It is commonly believed that Bihu originated long before the Aryan race had set foot in India. The history of this festival dates back to the year 3500 B.C. It is commonly believed that the festival originated from the language of Dimasa Kacharis, an agrarian tribe who flourished in this part of the world thousands of years back. For 3500 years, Bihu has been a festival of joy and celebrations that has bought people closer to one another. The influence of Bihu is not limited to that of farmers and people related to agriculture. It is believed that great writers and composers in the Assamese language were also significantly influenced by this unique festival. Sankar Deva the great hymn composer and Madhav Deva who is known for his Assamese rendering of Valmiki’s Ramayana both of whom lived during the 15th century were influenced by Bihu in a big way. Sankar Dev

Bihu, the most reverted festival of Assam State is celebrated with a lot of gaiety and show. The festival celebrates the harvest season mainly.  Bihu geet  forms an integral part of the festival, which is close to the heart of all Assamese. Here i present a list of melodious  Bihu festival songs  which are sung along with pleasant sound of Indian musical instruments. Wind full of celebration is incomplete without these  Bihu songs  sung to express happiness during festivities enjoyed to celebrate the harvest season. The  Bihu song lyrics  adorn the lips of all who enjoy the music along with Husori in the village along with singing and dancing to the traditional music of toka, gagan, dhol and pepa like instruments.    Some popular Bihu geet (Bihu songs) are listed here with lyrics.   Bihu Festival Song Lyrics Song 1: Phool phulise Boxontor –  Bihu Song Lyrics Phool phulise Boxontor  tumi jaanmoni bohaagor..                                                      pratitu bohago

The festival of Bihu is never complete without the traditional Bihu Dance. This root of this form of colourful and vibrant dance is still unknown. The earliest possible documented history of Bihu dance dates back to the time of Ahom King Rudra Singha who invited a group of Bihu performers to perform the dance in the year 1694 at Ranghar fields on the occasion of Rangoli Bihu. The occasion is celebrated during the month of mid-April, which also marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. The Bihu dance is quite an energetic form of dance that involves rapid hand and feet movement. The dance emphasises more of the role of the women and the female members maintain a tighter line of movement in comparison to the men folks. Typically in a Bihu dance the men folk enter the stage followed by the female performers. The dance moves are choreographed keeping in mind the roles of both of both the genders. A Bihu dance performance is never completed without music and the drummers play

Rongali Bihu: Most of the dwellers of Assam, irrespective of their religion and race, celebrate the occasion with their own touch of colors and traditions. The most popular of all the Bihus, Rongali Bihu, marks the commencement of the Assamese New Year and welcomes the spring with both arms wide open. The occasion is known with innumerable names to various races (Baisagu for Bodo Kacharis, Baikhu for Rabhas, Ali- Ai- Ligang for Misings, Bobhaggio Bisu for Deoris). The seven days long festival observed cheerfully and with lot of fun all over Assam. The first day is known as Goru Bihu or Cow Bihu. Generally cows are washed and worshipped with lot of devotions. This is followed by Manuh (Human) Bihu, falls generally on 15th April, the New Year. This is the time when city indwellers and village habitants clean themselves up and wear new attires. It's time to get ready for the energetic and sparkling celebrations  of the New Year. Goru Bihu: The occasion marks the last da

Assam is a fertile land surrounded by Blue Mountains and replenished by the mighty Brahmaputra River. The occupation of the people here is agriculture and the entire society is agrarian in nature. Bihu is basically a celebration of the change of the seasons. Each of the three Bihu celebrations marks an important phase in the farming calendar of Assam. Bihu – How Did The Name of the Festival Come Up? The word Bihu is originally derived from the word known as “Bishu’, which means that people ask for prosperity from the Gods during important junctures of the harvesting season. Later on, the name somehow got distorted and the festival came to be known as Bihu. According to another source, it is commonly believed that the festival received its name from two different words, namely “bi” which means to ask and “hu” which means to give. Both these words combined to form the name Bihu. What Bihu Stands For? The festival of Bihu gives a unique identity to the Assamese people and mak

Tucked away in the far eastern corner of the country and safely guarded by the mighty Brahmaputra River, Assam is one of the most beautiful, serene and magnificent states of India. Bihu is the official state festival of Assam, which is celebrated thrice in a year. Bihu in Assam marks the three distinct phases of the farming calendar. Bihu is a secular festival that is celebrated by people from all parts of Assam irrespective of caste creed or religious background. The first Bihu is known as the Rongali Bihu or Bohag Bihu, which is celebrated in the month of April. The second Bihu is known as Kati Bihu or Kongali Bihu, which is celebrated during the month of October and finally there is Magh Bihu, which is observed during the month of January. Bihu is a traditional festival where people cook traditional meals using rice and wear traditional clothes. Dance and music forms an important part of the celebration and the festivities continues for seven days at a stretch. The entire