Magh Bihu – Fun, Food and the Fireside

Burning the meji, roasting potatoes over the bonfire, and stocking up on sweets like there’s no tomorrow! That sums up the Magh Bihu celebrations in Assam where this joyful event signifies the end of the rice harvesting season and thanksgiving to the powers that be for their benevolence. Such is the extent of the farmers’ gratitude that Magh Bihu celebrations last a whole week with lots of fun activities packed in. Read on to know some more about this holiday of India that is celebrated elsewhere in the country as Makar Sankranti and Pongal.

Photo Credit: rajkumar1220 / Flickr

The Why of it All

Magh Bihu celebrations thank Mother Nature for her bestowed bounty and the Sun God for nurturing all life. It is also called Bhogali Bihu because this harvest festival is all about food (bhogali comes from bhog – the Assamese word for food). And sure enough there’s a luxurious feast of masor tenga (fish curry with tomatoes) and omita khar (papaya khar) prepared in every home on Magh Bihu eve – Uruka. This is when a bonfire sees raconteurs regale a rapt audience with folklores, people singing songs about the good harvest and nearly everyone atwitter to catch miscreants who have a traditional obligation to break into people’s homes and taunt them for fun.

The Mechanics of Magh Bihu

Uruka sees men building mejis – conical huts made of bamboo, wood and dried leaves, often reaching up to 40 feet – and guarding them zealously till dawn. Meji protectors spend the cold night outdoors in specially built hay structures called Bhela Ghar and these become ‘mission control rooms’.  The mejis are then burnt early in the morning and their ashes scattered over the fields to enhance the soil’s fertility.

Photo Credit: designadda / Flickr

On Uruka, while the men are busy building the huts and the women are fussing over pithas, the field is wide open for kids who stay up late roasting Kon Aloos, telling tall tales and singing joyous Bihu songs to music from flutes and buffalo horns. The pithas are the official sweet of Magh Bihu and women take special pride in their pitha making skills using red Bora rice, coconut, sesame seeds and gur or jaggery. Come morning of the Magh Bihu festival, the mejis are lit; the lady of the house offers prayers and pithas to the fire and day long feasts start only to end with the lip smacking Sira doi and some unique games. Some popular Magh Bihu sports are Koni Juj or egg fight, Mohar Juj and Kori Khel – a royal game invented by the mighty Ahom Rulers of Assam. Don’t be surprised if you find yourself in the midst of a noisy Hen Juj (hawk fight) or even a scary Mal Juj or wrestling.

Bull fights, one of the most energetic events during Magh Bihu, see patrons and eager viewers from across villages watch prize bulls stake their claim. A rather unique sport is the Bulbul fight at the Haigrib Madhab Temple in Hajo Village, close to Guwahati, where Bulbuls fight a bitter battle to prove their might. These are custom-fed, angry bulbuls not to be slighted.

The feasting and the fun go on for the day and culminate in a spectacular fireworks display with the patakas made out of hollow bamboo sticks. With so much action packed in, this is definitely a great time to plan a trip to Assam