Representational image. PTI
Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is observed during the month of January and it marks the end of the harvest season. It is considered to be the second largest Bihu festival of Assam after Bohag Bihu. ‘Bhogali’ refers to ‘feasting’ in Assamese and it is dedicated to Lord Agni, the Hindu fire god.
The occasion of Magh Bihu coincides with Pongal and Makar Sankranti celebrations in many states. Young individuals, mostly men, go to the fields for building improvised huts or Bhelaghar.
These homes are built with bamboo, leaves, and thatch. The festival will be marked on 15 January this year. Uruka, which refers to the eve of the festival, falls on 14 January.
Why is the festival celebrated in Assam?
The culture of Assam is agrarian in nature and the main livelihood is dependent on agriculture. Due to this, the festival assumes importance in the Assamese calendar.
The festival celebrates the end of the harvesting season in the region. The Magh Bihu celebrations commence on the last day of the month of ‘pooh’ in the Assamese calendar.
The word Bihu has been taken from the Sanskrit word Bishu meaning “to seek for peace”. Magh Bihu is also known as Maghar Domahi. The bhog served in the festival is of great importance and is a symbol of eating with the community.
On Magh Bihu, family and friends get together and feast around a bonfire. The next day, people take a bath and burn the temporary huts from clay straw and firewood they had built earlier with wood and bamboo.
People circle around the fire and offer ‘Maah Khorai’ and ‘Pithas’ (rice cakes). The traditional breakfast ‘Jalpaan’ on the day of Magh Bihu is served with ‘Chira’ or flattened rice, Akhoi or puffed rice, as well as fresh cream or curd and jaggery. Varieties of Pitha, which are a very popular Assamese delicacy, add richness to the feast.
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