Kati Bihu

Assamese festival

Also known as: Kangali Bihu

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Last updated

June 30, 2026

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Kati Bihu, also known as Kongali Bihu, is one of three distinct festivals celebrated in Assam, India, tied to the agricultural cycle. It falls in the Hindu month of Karttika (October-November) when rice saplings are transplanted and food stores are typically low, making it a more somber occasion than the other Bihu festivals. Families offer prayers for a good harvest and light lamps near holy basil plants and in paddy fields. This festival is considered "poor" Bihu due to the scarcity of food at this time of year.12

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Assam
Cultural life
The third Bihu festival, the Kati Bihu (in mid-October or November), is also called the Kongali Bihu (from kongali, meaning “poor”), because by this time of year the house of an ordinary family is without food grains, as the stock is usually consumed before the next harvest.
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The third Bihu festival, the Kati Bihu (in mid-October or November), is also called the Kongali Bihu (from kongali, meaning “poor”), because by this time of year the house of an ordinary family is without food grains, as the stock is usually consumed before the next harvest.
Read More