Happy Magh Bihu 2020: Know More About The Festival of
Pitha, Laru And Jolpan
This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January, 2020. Bihu, Assam's pride and brightest festival, identifies the state's integrity and infectious energy. The festival is all about bhog or eating.
Somdatta Saha |
Updated: January 14, 2020 11:24 IST
Bihu
Festival: Magh Bihuis the celebration of harvest in Assam
Highlights
- This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January, Thursday
- Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is all about 'bhog' or eating
- It concludes with lighting a bonfire (Meji) and praying the God of fire
Bihu 2020: It is that time of the
year when the whole nation gets decked up for fun, frolics, food and
festivities. In not even a week and we are all set to celebrate the harvest
festival that has various names in various parts of the country, and in Assam,
they call it Magh Bihu or Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi. Bihu, Assam's
pride and brightest festival, identifies the state's integrity and infectious
energy. The word 'Bihu' is believed to have originated from the
word 'Bishu' that means 'to ask for peace'. Magh Bihu is
the celebration of harvest in Assam, which is concluded with lighting a bonfire
(Meji) and praying the God of fire.
Bihu 2020 Date:
This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January,
Thursday. The word ‘Bhog' stands for eating and this is what the ‘Bhogali Bihu'
all about, along with the enjoyment a festival offers. Magh Bihu
celebrations start on the last day of the previous month, ‘Pooh'. As a part of
the celebration, people erect makeshift huts, also known as Meji or Bhelaghar,
with bamboo, leaves and thatch, and eat the food they prepare in those huts.
Next morning, they burn the Meji, giving a ceremonial conclusion to the
festival. The celebrations also feature traditional Assamese games such as
tekeli bhonga, which is pot-breaking and buffalo fighting. People take a bath
after waking up the next morning of Bhogali Bihu and the Meji is burnt. Next,
the ritual of offering prayers to God is performed. People carry half-burnt
pieces of firewood to throw on the fruit trees, hoping for good yields. Paddy
stems or bamboo strips are used for tying the trees in a compound.
Bihu Festival Special Food:
As mentioned earlier, Bhogali Bihu is all about
‘bhog' or eating. Hence, the main attraction of the festival is the foods that
people prepare for the celebration. During Magh Bihu, people of
Assam make rice cakes with various names such as Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha
etc. and some other sweets of coconut called Laru. In fact, pitha is such
an essential tradition of Bihu that Bihu and pitha are often synonymous. Pithas
are traditional Assamese sweetmeats prepared usually from rice flour and other
indigenous ingredients like jaggery, coconut, sugar etc. The various kinds of
pithas are til (sesame) pitha, Narikol (coconut) pitha, Tekeli pitha,
Ghila pitha, Sunga pitha, Kholasapori pitha, Lau (gourd) pitha, and Kolpat
pitha.
Laru is also one of the delicacies that are
very famous during Magh Bihu. It is basically laddu made out of different
ingredients like sesame (til laru), coconut, murmura or puffed rice (muri
laru), and rice flour (gura laru).
Sandoh Guri is termed to be one of the
tastemakers of Magh Bihu. It is made out of rice flour and consumed with
milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Rice flour obtained
after grinding fried rice and consumed with milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery
or sugar. Sandoh Guri is also a very popular breakfast that is
consumed with black tea. Other delicacies of Bhogali Bihu are Maah Korai
(soaked black sesame seeds, bora saul, gram or maah, chana fried and flavoured
with mustard oil, ginger and salt) and Jolpan (platter).
- Food & Drinks
- Happy Magh Bihu 2020: Know More About The Festival Of Pitha, Laru And Jolpan
Happy Magh Bihu 2020: Know More About The Festival of Pitha, Laru And Jolpan
This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January, 2020. Bihu, Assam's pride and brightest festival, identifies the state's integrity and infectious energy. The festival is all about bhog or eating.
Somdatta
Saha | Updated:
January 14, 2020 11:24 IST
Bihu Festival: Magh Bihuis the
celebration of harvest in Assam
Highlights
- This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January, Thursday
- Bhogali Bihu or Magh Bihu is all about 'bhog' or eating
- It concludes with lighting a bonfire (Meji) and praying the God of fire
Bihu 2020: It is that time of the year when the
whole nation gets decked up for fun, frolics, food and festivities. In not even
a week and we are all set to celebrate the harvest festival that has various
names in various parts of the country, and in Assam, they call it Magh Bihu or
Bhogali Bihu or Maghar Domahi. Bihu, Assam's pride and brightest festival,
identifies the state's integrity and infectious energy. The
word 'Bihu' is believed to have originated from the
word 'Bishu' that means 'to ask for peace'. Magh Bihu is
the celebration of harvest in Assam, which is concluded with lighting a bonfire
(Meji) and praying the God of fire.
Bihu 2020 Date:
This year, Magh Bihu will be celebrated on 16th January,
Thursday. The word ‘Bhog' stands for eating and this is what the ‘Bhogali Bihu'
all about, along with the enjoyment a festival offers. Magh Bihu
celebrations start on the last day of the previous month, ‘Pooh'. As a part of
the celebration, people erect makeshift huts, also known as Meji or Bhelaghar,
with bamboo, leaves and thatch, and eat the food they prepare in those huts.
Next morning, they burn the Meji, giving a ceremonial conclusion to the
festival. The celebrations also feature traditional Assamese games such as
tekeli bhonga, which is pot-breaking and buffalo fighting. People take a bath
after waking up the next morning of Bhogali Bihu and the Meji is burnt. Next,
the ritual of offering prayers to God is performed. People carry half-burnt
pieces of firewood to throw on the fruit trees, hoping for good yields. Paddy
stems or bamboo strips are used for tying the trees in a compound.
Bihu Festival Special Food:
As mentioned earlier, Bhogali Bihu is all about
‘bhog' or eating. Hence, the main attraction of the festival is the foods that
people prepare for the celebration. During Magh Bihu, people of
Assam make rice cakes with various names such as Sunga Pitha, Til Pitha
etc. and some other sweets of coconut called Laru. In fact, pitha is such
an essential tradition of Bihu that Bihu and pitha are often synonymous. Pithas
are traditional Assamese sweetmeats prepared usually from rice flour and other
indigenous ingredients like jaggery, coconut, sugar etc. The various kinds of
pithas are til (sesame) pitha, Narikol (coconut) pitha, Tekeli pitha,
Ghila pitha, Sunga pitha, Kholasapori pitha, Lau (gourd) pitha, and Kolpat
pitha.
Laru is also one of the delicacies that are
very famous during Magh Bihu. It is basically laddu made out of different
ingredients like sesame (til laru), coconut, murmura or puffed rice (muri
laru), and rice flour (gura laru).
Sandoh Guri is termed to be one of the
tastemakers of Magh Bihu. It is made out of rice flour and consumed with
milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery or sugar. Rice flour obtained
after grinding fried rice and consumed with milk/curd, sweetened with jaggery
or sugar. Sandoh Guri is also a very popular breakfast that is
consumed with black tea. Other delicacies of Bhogali Bihu are Maah Korai
(soaked black sesame seeds, bora saul, gram or maah, chana fried and flavoured
with mustard oil, ginger and salt) and Jolpan (platter).
Hence, if you travel to Assam during the time of Magh Bihu, do not forget to
experience the state's energy to the fullest! Happy Magh Bihu 2020!
About Somdatta SahaExplorer- this is what Somdatta
likes to call herself. Be it in terms of food, people or places, all she craves
for is to know the unknown. A simple aglio olio pasta or daal-chawal and a good
movie can make her day.
