Folk Dance Bihu :-
Bihu or Bohag Bihu is the most
important festival of the people of Assam and is celebrated in mod-April to
welcome spring. Cattle rites are performed on the first day, and homage is paid
to elders, relatives and friends on the second day with a special Bihu meal.
The third day is set apart for religious services. Games and sports, special
Bihu songs and dances, fairs, etc., are a part of the Bihu celebrations. The
Assamese also celebrate Magh Bihu in
January, and Kati Bihu in October. 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 Three Bihus in Assam
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 Assamese Bihus have been celebrated since
ancient times. Each Bihu coincides with a distinctive phase in the farming
calendar. The most important and colourful of the three Bihu dance festival is
the harvest festival Bohag Bihu or Rangali Bihu celebrated in the middle of
April. This is also the beginning of the agricultural season.
1.
The Bohaag
Bihu or the Rongali Bihu
Rongaali Bihu’,
the most important Bihu of all the three, is celebrated in the month of Bohaag
(middle of April), the first month of the Assamese calendar and thus marks the
advent of the Assamese New Year. This Bihu is also known as Rongaali ( ‘Rong’
denoting joy in Assamese)
2.
The Magh
Bihu or the Bhogali Bihu
The Magh or the
Bhogali Bihu, the harvesting festival is celebrated in January by community
feast, buffalo fight and such other entertainment. The Maagh Bihu marks the end
of the harvesting period. Maagh Bihu is also called Bhogaali Bihu or the
Festival of Food. It is held in temporary thatched houses (made with thatch and
dry plantation leaves/ trunk) known as Bhela Ghar or Meji Ghar) specially
erected for the purpose mainly in the barren paddy fields from where the crop
has already been harvested. A Community feast is one of the main features of
this Bihu which is held near the Bhela Ghar. People spent the night of the
community feast in the Bhela Ghar and early in the morning the same is lit with
fire, culminating the function. A variety of traditional Assamese sweets and
cakes like the Laru, Pitha etc. are prepared on the occasion in every home. The
next day is spent by visiting relatives and friends to convey and exchange the
Bihu greetings; the guests, neighbours and relatives are treated with the
snacks prepared for occasion.
3.
The Kati
Bihu to the Kongaali Bihu
Compared to
"Rongali" and Bhogali Bihu, "Kati Bihu" is a tame affair
celebrated in the month of Kartika. the Kaati Bihu marks the completion of
sowing and transplanting of paddies. Kaati Bihu is also called Kongaali Bihu or
the Festival of the Poor. It is held in the beginning of the Kati (7th month of
the Assamese calendar) (middle of October), the Bihu marks silent prayer in the
form of lighting of earthen lamps in the paddy fields and also near Tulasi tree
for the success of the crop.
One important aspect of the Bihu festival is
that the entire Assamese Community irrespective caste, creed and religious
followings celebrate it.
Musical Instrument Used In Bihu :-
The
folk songs associated with Bohaag Bihu are known as ‘Bihu Geet’; Bihu
Geet is symbolic of communication of love and romance among the village
youth and the village belles. The merriments
include famous Bihu dance along with the enthralling beats of Dhol, Gangana. Toka and Pepa (buffalo
hornpipe). Songs sung during the Bihu festival are woven around themes of
love and most of the time carry erotic overtones.
Costumes of Bihu Dance:-
Dancers wear traditionally colorful Assamese clothing. People adorn
traditional attires like Dhoti, Gamocha
and Chadar, Mekhala. People wearing the bright colourful clothethes add as
an extra positive outlook towards the dance.
Picture of Bihu Dance :-
Video's of Bihu Dance :-
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