Celebrating the Harvest Festival of Assam with Rice Beer

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​Distance from Kolkata: 498 kilometers

​The largest of the 7 Sister States of Northeast India, Assam is one of the most loved places by tourists. The sprawling tea-estates, patches of paddy fields and an endless Brahmaputra paint the landscape of Assam in the most beautiful hues. The land of the one-horned rhinoceros and elephants, Assam is the cradle of nature and a ‘hot’ holiday spot. Along with rich biodiversity, the beautiful valleys of Assam are also known to preserve some of the oldest and most varied traditions of the delta.

A Cultural Cauldron

The vibrant Assamese culture has several similarities to Bengali culture. Also surrounded by the rest of the Northeast states, Assam enjoys an infusion of their cultures too. Take for example, East Assam where every December the Rengma Nagas come together to celebrate the end of the agriculture season during the Nyada Festival. Marked with rituals and prayers to the ancestors, this tribal festival is an important part of the lives of the people whose livelihoods depend on agriculture primarily.

Paddy is the most important agricultural product of east Assam and December is the time of harvest for Rabi crops. Men and women together labour to produce a good yield and after months of hard work, the harvest calls for a major celebration. This eight-day long festival is the time for the locals to pay tributes to their ancestors and to celebrate the harvest. What is even more remarkable is how this festival has something for everyone. From young boys and girls to the elderly; everyone has a role to play during the festival.

Eight Days of Fascinating Celebrations and Rituals

The eight-day long festival of Assam called Nyada is all about working together and remembering forefathers; an example of the rich sense of community living in tribes which seems to be rapidly fleeting in the metropolis.

Day 1: The festivities begin with brewing of rice beer which shall be offered to the ancestors and consumed on the day of the feast.

Day 2: On this day, people repair and clean around the graves of their ancestors to perform some rituals.

Day 3: This day is dedicated to a unique custom when women offer rice beer on the graves of the ancestors.

Day 4 & 5: The fourth and fifth days are undoubtedly the favourite with the kids because this is when they get to partake in the celebrations and perform traditional dances in the memory of their forefathers. People then give grains and other raw ingredients for the feast to the kids as a reward for their performance.

Day 6: This is the time of revelry when the whole community gets together to drink rice beer and celebrate.

Day 7: The feast is on the eighth day and therefore day seven is largely spent in the preparation for the feast while men take out time to repair their houses.

Day 8: On the last day of the festival, young men arrange a lavish feast for the whole community and everyone offers gratitude to their forefathers for a happy life.

On your trip to Assam in December, watch out for this beautiful festival of the beautiful people of Assam. You can witness all the action in the villages and towns of Dimapur. Dimapur is well-connected with flights to Kolkata. To experience the best of Assam book a holiday package straight away and forget all your travel woes!