Kati Bihu: Assam's Festival of Lights

19 Oct,2023

Kati Bihu, also known as Kangali Bihu, is one of the three Bihu festivals celebrated in Assam. It's a festival primarily associated with lighting oil lamps and worshiping the goddess Lakshmi for prosperity.

Festival of Lights

Kati Bihu falls in mid-October and is an agricultural festival that marks the sowing of paddy and the onset of the Assamese agricultural year.

Agricultural Festival

The most significant ritual of Kati Bihu is the lighting of lamps and candles in and around the homes, fields, and temples. This is believed to bring light and ward off darkness and evil.

Lamp Lighting Tradition

During Kati Bihu, the Akaxi Gohain Bihu is performed, where people pray to deities for a bountiful harvest. The term "Akaxi Gohain" refers to the head priest who leads these prayers.

Akaxi Gohain Bihu

Traditional Assamese dishes like "Jolpan" (a mixture of puffed rice, jaggery, sesame seeds, and coconut) and various sweets are prepared and offered to deities during Kati Bihu.

Traditional Food

Cultural programs, dance, and music are an integral part of the Kati Bihu celebration. Bihu dances, like the Husori dance, are performed during this time.

Cultural Performances

People wear traditional Assamese clothing, such as Mekhela-Chador for women and Dhoti-Kurta for men, during Kati Bihu celebrations.

Traditional Attire

Farmers and households offer prayers to goddess Lakshmi for wealth, prosperity, and protection against calamities that might affect the crops.

Prayers for Prosperity

Lighting earthen lamps in the paddy fields is a common practice during Kati Bihu. It is believed to help the paddy grow better and keep pests away.

Lighting Earthen Lamps

Kati Bihu is a time for community gatherings and strengthening social bonds. It's an occasion for families and friends to come together, share meals, and celebrate the start of the agricultural season.

Community Bonding