Bihu

Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam. Though they owe their origins to ancient rites and practices they have taken definite urban features and have become popular festivals in urban and commercialized milieus in the recent decades. Bihu is also used to imply Bihu dance and Bihu folk songs. The Bihus are the national festivals of Assam. The most important festivals of Assam are the Bihus, celebrated with fun and abundance by all Assamese people irrespective of caste, creed, religion, faith and belief.

The word Bihu is derived from Dimasa kachari word. Dimasa kachari is from the beginning of ancient time lived in agragrian. Their supreme god is Brai Shibrai or Father Shibrai. The First crops of the season of the month have been usued to offer to supreme god brai Shibrai and ask for peace and prosperity from them. In this way Bi means ask and Shu means peace and prosperity in the world. This is means gradually change the word in this way BISHU-Bihu like this.In Assam, the Rongali Bihu draws from many different traditions— Austro-Asiatic, Sino-Burmese and Indo-Aryan—and is celebrated with particular fervor. Celebrations begin in the middle of April and generally continue for a month. In addition there are two other Bihus:Kongali Bihu in October (associated with the September equinox) and Bhogali Bihu in January (associated with the January solstice). Like most other Indian festivals, Bihu (all three) are associated with farming; as the traditional Assamese society is predominantly dependent on farming. In fact, similar festivals are also celebrated around the same time elsewhere in India.

In a year there are three Bihu festivals in Assam - in the months of Bohaag (Baisakh, the middle of April), Maagh (the middle of January), and Kaati (Kartik, the middle of October). The Bihus have been celebrated in Assam since ancient times. Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming calendar. The most important and colourful of the three Bihu festival is the Spring festival "Bohag Bihu" or Rongali Bihu celebrated in the middle of April. This is also the beginning of the agricultural season.