Get ready to celebrate Bohag Bihu 2025! Know the date, history, and significance of Assam’s harvest festival. Learn about the traditional rituals and festivities marking the Assamese New Year.
Bohag Bihu, the most important and widely celebrated festival in Assam, marks the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. It is a festival filled with joy, traditional customs, and vibrant cultural expressions. If you’re curious about when this festival falls in 2025, its significance, history, and the rituals involved, read on!
When is Bohag Bihu 2025?
This year, the celebration of Bohag Bihu will start on April 14, 2025. The date may vary slightly depending on the position of the sun, but typically, Bohag Bihu falls around mid-April. The festival usually lasts for several days, with the first day being the most significant.
History of Bohag Bihu
Bohag Bihu marks the beginning of the Assamese New Year. It has ancient roots tied to agrarian traditions and the cycle of seasons, primarily celebrating the harvest season. The festival is deeply associated with the solar calendar and is observed when the sun transitions into Aries (Mesha Sankranti). This transition is symbolic of new beginnings and prosperity.
Historically, Bohag Bihu is believed to have been celebrated for thousands of years. It was initially a festival for farmers to thank the gods for a good harvest and seek blessings for the upcoming agricultural season. The festival also reflects the deep cultural connection of Assamese people with nature and the land.
Significance of Bohag Bihu
Bohag Bihu holds immense cultural, social, and religious importance in Assam. It signifies a time of renewal and rejuvenation. The festival brings together families, friends, and communities to celebrate the arrival of spring, which is a season of fertility and abundance.
Bohag Bihu is an expression of Assam’s vibrant culture, with traditional dance forms like Bihu dance, folk songs, and the display of Assamese textiles and crafts. The festival is associated with the beginning of the harvest season and is a way to express gratitude for the crops that have been sown. During Bohag Bihu, people come together, forgetting past differences, to celebrate unity, friendship, and community spirit.
Rituals to Celebrate Bohag Bihu
Bohag Bihu is celebrated with various rituals, each symbolising different aspects of life. The key days of Bohag Bihu are as follows:
- First Day – Goru Bihu (Cow Bihu): The first day of Bihu is dedicated to the cows, as they play an essential role in Assamese agriculture. On Goru Bihu, cows are bathed, decorated with flowers, and worshipped to thank them for their hard work in the fields. People also offer prayers for their well-being.
- Second Day – Manuh Bihu (Human Bihu): This is the main day of Bohag Bihu and the day when Assamese people celebrate with family and friends. It is the day when young people pay respects to elders, and elders bless the younger generation. On this day, people wear new clothes, offer prayers to the gods, and enjoy traditional feasts. It is also a time for Bihu dance and Bihu songs, which are performed with energetic and rhythmic movements.
- Third Day – Cattle and Community Bihu: The third day focuses on the celebration of the community, where villagers come together to celebrate the harvest and the bonds of kinship. This day is marked by feasts, folk dances, and other communal activities.
ALSO READ: Baisakhi 2025: 5 traditional Punjabi dishes to savour this harvest season