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How is Bihu celebrated?

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The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica
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Bihu is an umbrella term for three distinct celebrations—Bohag Bihu, Kati Bihu, and Magh Bihu—observed in the Indian state of Assam, each marking an important phase in the farming cycle.

  • Bohag Bihu is celebrated on the first day of the month of Vaishakha (Bohag in Assamese) in the Hindu solar calendar. It heralds the Assamese New Year. Also referred to as Rongali Bihu (rong means “color” and connotes joy), Bohag Bihu is celebrated over seven days in spring.
  • Kati Bihu is celebrated in the Hindu calendar month of Karttika (Kati in Assamese; falling in October), when rice saplings are transplanted and granaries are mostly empty. As a result, this is a more somber celebration than Bohag Bihu and Magh Bihu, and it is thus referred to as Kongali (“poor”) Bihu.
  • Magh Bihu is celebrated on the cusp of the Hindu calendar months of Pausha and Magha (mid-January). It is a harvest festival that marks the entrance of the Sun into the astrological sign of makara (corresponding to Capricorn) and the beginning of the Sun’s uttarayana (northward journey). This Bihu is also called Bhogali Bihu and includes feasts to celebrate the bountiful time of the year.