Festive ‘Rongali’ Bihu Begins in Assam

The people of Assam today celebrated Rongali bihu or Bohag bihu across the state.

Rongali bihu is one of the biggest festival in Assam which heralds the new year calendar of Assamese society. It is celebrated with fun and abundance.

In the first day of Rongali bihu, begins on the last day of the month Chaitra, farmers of Assam observed “Goru bihu.”

On the “Goru bihu,” cattle are rubbed with a paste of matikalai (a kind of local pulse), turmeric and mustard and given traditional bath in rivers or ponds and worshipped.

Assam Governor Janaki Ballav Patnaik, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain greeted the people of Assam on the occasion.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi inaugurated the Guwahati bihu sanmilani at Latasil ground and participate in bihu dance with different cultural groups.

Gogoi has also participated with other bihu sanmilanis.

The All Assam Student’s Union (AASU) organised a day-long programme of “Mukoli bihu” (open bihu) at Judges field in the city.

The famous Judges field bihu was inaugurated by the renowned classical singer Parveen Sultana and cultural troops of various ethnic tribes which performed their rich culture.

Apart from Guwahati, Rongali bihu is celebrated in different parts of the state including Nagaon, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Tezpur, Kokrajhar, Lakhimpur, Silchar, Karbi Anglong, Udalguri, Darrang and Tinsukia.

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.