Assam Celebrates Magh Bihu With Traditional Rituals And Community Feasts

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Posted in Assam, Featured, Northeast
NET Web Desk

Assam is celebrating Magh Bihu, the vibrant harvest festival also known as Bhogali Bihu or Maghor Domahi. The festival marks the end of the winter harvest and brings together people from various communities to offer thanks for the crops and pray for prosperity in the year ahead.

The festivities began today with Uruka, when people built temporary huts called ‘Bhelaghar’ using hay from harvested fields. These huts serve as gathering spots for community feasts. Additionally, Meji bonfires were prepared for the evening celebrations. The Meji will be set alight early tomorrow morning, and the ashes will be spread across farmlands to improve soil fertility.

Magh Bihu is known for its traditional Assamese games such as Tekeli Bonga, buffalo fighting, and egg fights. People also share traditional Assamese foods and sweets with family and friends during the celebrations.

The festival holds both agricultural and social significance, symbolizing the harvest season and promoting unity and friendship among communities. In urban areas, where open spaces and hay are limited, people are opting for symbolic, ready-made Mejis for the bonfire rituals.

Magh Bihu is part of a broader cultural celebration of harvest festivals in India, including Pongal in Tamil Nadu, Lohri in Punjab, and Makar Sankranti in northern India.

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