Haat Bihu
Encyclopedia
Rangali Bihu
is called Haat Bihu (seven Bihus) owing to it celebrates seven days from the date of Vishuva Sankranti
of the month of Vaisakh (Bhaskar Calender). On the other hand, it is called so, Rangali Bihu is constitute of seven different types of Bihu - Chot Bihu, Raati Bihu, Manuh Bihu, Kutum Bihu, Mela Bihu and Chera Bihu.
Bihu
Bihu denotes a set of three different cultural festivals of Assam and celebrated by the Assamese diaspora around the world. 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...
is called Haat Bihu (seven Bihus) owing to it celebrates seven days from the date of Vishuva Sankranti
Vishuva Sankranti
Pana Sankranti or Maha Vishuva Sankranti , also known as Mesha Sankranti and Pana Sankranti, is celebrated as the Oriya New Year. The day marks the beginning of the New Year in the traditional Hindu Solar Calendar. On this day the sun enters the sidereal Aries or Mesha rashi. It generally falls on...
of the month of Vaisakh (Bhaskar Calender). On the other hand, it is called so, Rangali Bihu is constitute of seven different types of Bihu - Chot Bihu, Raati Bihu, Manuh Bihu, Kutum Bihu, Mela Bihu and Chera Bihu.
- Chot Bihu (চ'ত বিহু): The first date of month Cheitra is called Chot Bihu. That day unmarried youths freely exercise Bihu songs and Bihu dance at a open place or a field or tiniali or naamghor bakori (yard of community prayer hall) till uruka (one day before Rongali Bihu). That is also called Bali Husori.
- Raati Bihu (ৰাতি বিহু): The first night of month Cheitra till uruka night performs the Raati Bihu. It is now obsolate. Many years ago it was available all over Assam specially in Chowdang villages. Only female could participate in Raati Bihu. If any male wanted to participate he could play only pepa (buffello hornpipe) from some distance. One of essential musical instrument was bholuka baahor toka (a kind of one side split bamboo musical instrument). Raati Bihu performed beneath of a big tree or open field illuminating fire torch. It was quite popular that region.
- Garu Bihu (গৰু বিহু): Bihu is an agricultural festival of Assam. Rural people of Assam greatly depends on cattle. The last date of Cheitra month or the day of Sankranti, the first day of Rongali Bihu dedicated to cattle, is called Garu Bihu (Bihu for cattle). That day, early morning all cattle of the village are brought to water source like pond, river, deep open non-plughed cultivation field etc. and washed with maah-halodhi (black gram and turmeric paste), whipping dighloti (litsea salicifolia, a plant with long leaf), makhioti (flemingia strobilifera, a plant with flower like soft plastic butter-fly) and throwing pices of lau (bottle gourd) bengena (brinjal), people sing Dighloti dighal paat, maakhi marru jaat jaat; lau khaa bengena khaa, bosore bosore bardhi jaa, maare haru baapere horu toi hobi bor bor goru (with long leaf of dighloti, we kill different types of flies; eat bottle gourd eat brinjal, and grow year to year; your mother is small father is small, you be bigger one). After washing cattle the rest of branches of dighloti-makhioti and lau-bengena chak etc. are hung on the roof of the house of cattle. Village peoples without entering home, collect exho ebidh haak (101 types of vegetable), collect amlori tup (larvae of weaver antWeaver antWeaver ants or Green ants are eusocial insects of the family Formicidae . Weaver ants are obligately arboreal and are known for their unique nest building behaviour where workers construct nests by weaving together leaves using larval silk...
, Oecophylla smaragdina), bind betel leaf plant, give soil on bamboo plant root etc. many works done. That day people play Kori Khel, Paakha Khel, koni-juj (Egg-fight), etc. different types of games. In the evening while the cattle returning, burn rice bran for smoke, tethered with new ropes and garlanded with a collection of different kinds of leaves, oil massage whole body and horn, after then feed pitha (Assamese sweets) blowing air with a handheld fan. - Manuh Bihu (মানুহ বিহু): The first date of Vaisakh month is Manuh Bihu (Bihu for Human). In the early morning, baths with maah halodhi, put on new dress and lit chaki at Gohai Ghor (household prayer place). Then bow the elder at the family. It is a tradition giving Bihuwan or Gamusa as a gift and wearing that day.
- Kutum Bihu (কুতুম বিহু): The second date of Visakh is Kutum Bihu (Bihu for kinfolk). That day people visit to friends, relatives without formal invitation.
- Mela Bihu (মেলা বিহু): Mela Bihu is open for all. That day people can freely meet each other. Friends & relative visits their relatives. There is no bar to see gos tolor bihu. In older days, King and his staff came out to bihutoli to see bihu. It is the base idea of recent organised Bihu Melas or Bihu functions.
- Chera Bihu (চেৰা বিহু): It is the finishing day of Rongali Bihu. It is also called Bohagi Bidai, Faat Bihu etc. In the different places Assam, people celebrate it differently. In the lower Assam it is also called haat haak tula bihu (collecting seven types of vegetable). That day women collect vegetables along with singing song. Many places people exchange their pithas.