Why we celebrate
Rongali Bihu is the Assamese spring festival of joy, celebrated with dance, songs and feasts to mark the new year and the sowing season.
Assamese regional tradition
Festival Profile
Rongali Bihu
Assamese spring festival of joy, celebrated with dance, songs and feasts.
Rongali Bihu is the Assamese spring festival of joy, celebrated with dance, songs and feasts to mark the new year and the sowing season.
When
Rongali Bihu is celebrated in mid-April, during the Assamese month of Bohag.
Since when it is followed
Rongali Bihu has been celebrated for centuries as the Assamese new year.
Assam regional tradition
Who celebrates / for whom
Celebrated by the Assamese community in Assam and worldwide.
Origin
The origin is the Assamese new year and the agricultural cycle of the spring sowing season.
Assam agricultural tradition
Key deities
The festival honours the Earth and nature; the deities of the household are worshipped for a good harvest.
How to celebrate
Perform the Bihu dance and songs, exchange greetings and gifts (Gamosa), and prepare festive foods like pitha.
Rituals & offerings
Bihu dance, traditional songs, the Gamosa gift, and the eating of pitha.
Key facts
Rongali Bihu is the first of the three Bihu festivals of Assam.
Assam regional tradition