Festival of harvest Bhogali Bihu and Bhogi being celebrated in different parts of the country today

Assam is celebrating the Magh Bihu, the vibrant harvest festival, also known as Bhogali Bihu and Maghor Domahi. It is the first festival of the year that brings people of various communities together to enjoy the winter crops and pray for prosperity for the rest of the year. It is called Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Makar Sankranti in Northern parts of India.

This Bihu is celebrated over two days. During Magh Bihu, people have feasts and light bonfires, starting a day before the main celebration. The day before Magh Bihu is called Uruka or Bihu eve, the last day of the Poush month in the Assamese calendar.

Today is Uruka and as part of the Bihu celebration, people building makeshift cottages called ‘Bhelaghar’ using hay from the harvest fields. People are also constructing Meiji for bonfires. They will prepare food inside these huts, and a community feast to be held on this Uruka night. The Meji will be burned early tomorrow morning and the ashes to be spread on the farmland to make the soil more fertile.

During the main Bihu, people take a bath early in the morning and play traditional Assamese games like Tekeli Bonga and buffalo fighting. There are also cock fights and egg fights. People eat and share the traditional Assamese foods and sweets on this occasion. 

Magh Bihu holds agricultural and social significance as it is time to celebrate new yield and renew ties of friendship and brotherhood with communities.

In urban areas, people are purchasing symbolic readymade Mejis for bonfire due lack of open spaces and non availabilities of hay.