People across Assam marked the first day of Rongali Bihu, known as ‘Goru Bihu’, with vibrant traditional rituals on Monday, April 14. Across the State, the locals bathed their cattle in ponds and rivers, kicking off the week-long festivities with joy and devotion.
Goru Bihu, which begins the Rongali Bihu celebrations, is dedicated to livestock. On this day, cows are lovingly washed and adorned with a paste made from turmeric, black lentils, and other natural ingredients.
People sing traditional songs to the cattle, wishing them growth and good health. One popular chant goes: Lao kha, bengena kha, bosore bosore barhi ja, maar xoru, baper xoru, toi hobi bor bor goru’ – meaning, ‘Eat gourd, eat brinjal, grow year after year; your mother is small, your father is small, but you shall become a big, strong cow’.
Across Guwahati and other parts of the State, Bihu committees have organized elaborate week-long cultural programmes.
Rongali Bihu, celebrated in mid-April during the first week of Bohag, marks the Assamese New Year and the arrival of spring. It is one of three Bihu festivals celebrated in Assam – Bhogali (Magh Bihu) in January, Rongali (Bohag Bihu) in April, and Kongali Bihu in October – each representing a different phase of the agricultural cycle.
PM Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah extended warm wishes on the occasion of Bohag Bihu in Assam. In a post on X, PM Modi said, “Bohag Bihu wishes to you all! May the new year bring new beginnings, happiness, and prosperity in all that you do. Praying for everyone’s good health and fulfilment of all aspirations.”
Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma thanked PM Modi for his wishes on Bihu. In an X post, CM Sarma said, “Adarniya Prime Minister Shri @narendramodi ji, thank you so much for your Bohag Bihu wishes. As the Assamese New Year is set to begin, we recall your many visits to Assam during this time and your celebrations with the people of the state.”
Union Home Minister Shah also posted on X, saying, “Warm greetings to our sisters and brothers of Assam on the occasion of Bohag Bihu. May the joy of welcoming the Assamese New Year, vibrating on the banks of the Brahmaputra, invite prosperity and well-being for everyone.”
CM Sarma, while thanking HM Shah, wrote on his X handle, “Thank you so much for your wishes on Bohag Bihu, Adarniya Griha Mantri Shri @AmitShah ji. With your constant guidance, Assam is ringing in the New Year in an atmosphere of peace and prosperity.”
