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|KATI BIHU|
Banner By- heyhargun
By- mann101978
Bihu is a set of three Assamese festivals, mainly celebrated in the beautiful northeastern state of Assam. While the modern form of Bihu is synthesized from various cultural elements, belonging to diverse groups like Austro- Asiatic, Tibeto- Burman, Indo- Aryan, and Tai, it is also deeply rooted in the indigenous culture.
The three crucial Bihu festivals are Rongali, or Bohag Bihu, which is celebrated in April; Kongali or Kati Bihu, which is celebrated in October; and Bhogali or Magh Bihu, which is celebrated in October observed in January.
Rongali Bihu, being the most important out of the three, celebrates the spring festival. The Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, and there are community feasts. The Kongali Bihu or the Kati Bihu is the sombre, thrifty one, and reflects a season of short supplies, and is an animistic festival.
While the three Bihus reverence Krishna, cattle (Goru Bihu), elders in the family, fertility, and mother goddess, the celebrations and rituals performed show the influence from Southeast Asia and Sino-Tibetan cultures.
Bihu implies the Bihu dance, also called Bihu Naas, and the folk songs of Bihu are also known as Bihu Geet.
History of Kati Bihu: While all the three festivals of Bihu are related to agriculture, Bohag and Kati Bihu mark the key dates in the harvest season. Kati, which means ‘cut,’ is celebrated during the time of relocation of the rice sapling.
It is also known as Kongali, meaning ‘poor,’ because the granaries are generally empty, and there is not much to eat at this time of the year. Therefore, Kati Bihu is not as flamboyant and exuberant as the other two Bihu festivals, and the festivities of this tend to be more sombre and simple in nature.
Kati Bihu is celebrated by lighting the lamps or Saaki (Candle) in different house parts. The main lamp is lit in the courtyard near the sacred Tulsi plant, which is considered to be very auspicious in Hinduism. The Tulsi plant is famous for possessing various medicinal properties that can cure a person of multiple ailments.
During Kati Bihu, the plant is cleaned and then placed on an earthen platform called a ‘Tulsi Bheti.’ The people also make offerings and prayers to the Goddess Tulsi for their families’ well-being and a good harvest. This formal and simple procedure continues for the whole month of Kati.
Farmers light a special kind of lamp called ‘Akash Banti,’ meaning Sky candle in the rice fields. These mustard oil lamps are placed on the tips of tall bamboo poles, on a high level, as it is believed that these lamps are lit to guide the ancestors to heaven. But at the same time, they serve a practical purpose as well. These sky candle lamps draw the insects to their flame, killing them, which in turn prevents the harm they would have caused to the crops. And thus, these lamps help to keep the crops healthy.
Kati Bihu is generally celebrated on the nineteenth day of October, as it is almost mid-October. This year also, it will be celebrated on 19th October.
We wish you a pleased Kati Bihu, praying for a bountiful harvest this season and well being of everyone!
#ind_legion
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IndianLegion | Official Book 2020
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