Three festivals of Assam: Bohag, Magh, Kati
Bihu refers not to a single festival but to three distinct Assamese celebrations observed at different points in the agrarian year. Each marks a stage in the farming cycle and carries its own rituals, foods, and mood.
Bohag Bihu in April opens the Assamese New Year with the spring sowing; Magh Bihu in January is the harvest feast that closes the cropping cycle; Kati Bihu in October is a quieter observance for the standing crop in the fields.
Treating “Bihu” as one festival, as many calendars do, misses the point of the Assamese tradition — the three are celebrated separately and mean different things. The cards below link to the details for each.
The Assamese New Year, observed in mid-April around Mesha Sankranti. Bohag Bihu welcomes the spring sowing season with the Bihu dance, Goru Bihu (honouring cattle), and exchanges of the traditional Gamusa.
The harvest festival of Assam, observed in mid-January around Makar Sankranti. Magh Bihu is marked by community feasting (bhog), the lighting of Meji bonfires the night before, and offerings of newly harvested grain.
The autumn observance, falling around the first of Kartika (mid-October). Kati Bihu is the simplest of the three: earthen lamps are lit in paddy fields and around the tulsi plant, with prayers for the standing crop.