Assamese Bihu is three. These are Bahag or Rongali Bihu, Magh or Bhogali Bihu and Kati or Kangali Bihu.
Today I will try to find out about Magh or Bhogali Bihu
On the sankranti day of the month of Pooh and Magh, all Assamese celebrate The Magh or Bhogali Bihu of Seneh. Bhogali, the festival of bhog, is celebrated to overcome the exhaustion of the year-long labour waged by the agricultural Assamese.
After the Aghon field is golden, people fill the stock by harvesting crops like shali paddy, maah, sesame seeds, magu etc. in Pooh. During this time, the rich and the poor all have two handfuls of rice and rice to eat at home. That is why there is more emphasis on eating and drinking in this Bihu. There is also a tradition of laughing and eating a meal a month on this festival.
On this Bihu, various types of snacks such as chira, sandah, soft rice, akhai, muri as well as various types of pithas, ladoos, etc., become a river in everyone’s house.
Some glimpses of when the Assamese society has started taking up the Magh Bihu
According to historians Magh Bihu was the main festival of the Bodo indigenous people of the primitive period. It is known that this Bihu is celebrated with royal patronage during the reigns of Chutiyas and Ahoms. In particular, from the days of The Ahom King Rudrasingha, on the day of Bihu, various games, colors and games were organized in the bakaris of Rangghar.
The kings enjoyed the festival by being present with the da-badiyas. Those games included elephant fights, cockfights, egg fights, wrestling battles, mosquito fights, bulbuli bird fights. At present, there is a trend of extinction mosquito fights, bulbuli bird fights, fights, egg fights.
Bhela Ghar
The intoxication of Magh Bihu is found when everyone in the bhela ghar can eat a fish of meat together.Bhela ghar is a temporary night shelter, used as a community feast hall .
From about 20 days to Bihu, the young and old of the village start cutting paddy straw or straw. From 15-20 days everyone in the village along with the young old man gets ready for the straw to be used and the straw to be used in the meji to make the bhela ghar. According to the tradition, on the night of Uruka, everyone eats together in the bhelaghar.
Why is the night of Uruka more important than Magh Bihu?
All Assamese celebrate Uruka on the night before Magh Bihu. Everyone in the village jointly decorates the bhelaghar and eats food and rice at night and celebrates uruka. These bhelaghars are made of straw.
Generally, the length and breadth of the barn are equal. But the size of the velaghar varies from place to place. In some parts of Lower Assam, velaghars are also decorated with banana leaves. The size and shape of the meiji varies from place to place and from population to population.
The tradition of stealing in Uruka and some folk beliefs
On the day of Bihu’s Uruka, the people of a hamlet or a village catch fish in beels, rivers, ponds, water bodies, etc. All people irrespective of caste and creed participate in this fishing festival. According to this custom, in beels, rivers, ponds, etc., the people fish to nets, pal, juluki, etc., and divide the fish and eat food at night.
On the other hand, Uruka is celebrated on the eve of Sankranti and Domahi in the month of Pooh and Magh. The young men gathered to eat food and rice stole straw, vegetables, poultry, potato-kavi, etc. from the bari of the people of the village.
Because it is believed that people cannot be abused on the day of Bihu. It is because of this practice that the householder also has to spend the entire night awake, keeping the house bari, courtyard, etc. At present the practice of stealing has stopped in some places.
Magh Bihu Traditions and Folk Beliefs
Every Assamese prays for removing the evils of the society by washing in the morning on the day of Bihu and setting fire to the meji of the bhelaghar decorated on the day of Uruka.
In the fire of Meji, he serves the fire by giving maah, magu, pitha, rice, ghee, etc. When the meji puri is over, everyone drops with that shade. However, in places where there is no facility to dough, it is wood and bamboo that makes the meji. The meji burnt fire worship of this Bihu can be called naamantar. After the burning of the meji ghar, half burnt bamboo is hung on the lagni tree to wish for the growth of the plant.
Bird fights
are held in different parts of the state in connection with Bihu. The battle of the bulbulis of the Hayagriva Madhava Temple located in Hajo has a distinct heritage.
According to popular belief, on the first day of the month of Magh, an nripati came to visit the Hayagriva Madhava temple and was impressed to see a fight between two bulbulis there and since then this fight has been held there annually on Magh Bihu. Bird fights take place in other parts of the state as well.
Different people have different opinions about organizing buffalo fights during Magh Bihu. The game is said to have been held in the rupahi ground of Rangpur during the days of the Ahom kings.
The Ahom angels enjoyed this game from the top of the rangghar. A case is currently pending in the court in connection with buffalo fighting.
Here were a few things about Magh Bihu.
I appreciate the creativity you brought to this project. ❤️
Thanks