Magh Bihu, also known as Bhogali Bihu, marks the conclusion of the harvesting season in Assam.
This festival is fundamentally centered around feasting. Spanning three days, the celebration begins with the time-honoured tradition of community fishing, which takes place in the chilly mornings of mid-January.
The festival includes community fishing, feasts, and bonfires. People erect makeshift huts called ‘Bhelaghar’ for feasting in the night and burn them the following morning along with ‘Meji’, as a ritual to appease the Fire God.
People gather in groups during the cold mornings to fish using the traditional net known as ‘Jakoi’. This activity takes place in the wetlands throughout Assam.
The day before Magh Bihu is called ‘Uruka’. On ‘Uruka’, people come together to prepare a feast in the evening and construct ‘Meji’ and ‘Bhelaghar’ using bamboo, hay, leaves, and thatch.
During Magh Bihu, the people of Assam prepare rice cakes known by various names, including ‘Sunga Pitha’, ‘Til Pitha’, and ‘Narikolor Laru’, among others.
