Magh Bihu 2023: History and significance of festival

Magh Bihu, also referred to as Bhogali Bihu or Maghi, is celebrated in the state of Assam. The festival celebrates the end of the harvest season and is believed to be a time when people give thanks to the god of agriculture and their ancestors for a bountiful harvest.

People gather with their friends and family to celebrate the harvest. This year, the festival of Magh Bihu is on 15 January while Uruka will be celebrated on the eve (i.e., on 14 January). The Sankranti moment takes place on the eve and is at 8:57 PM.

Interestingly, it is one of those festivals that is determined as per the movement of the sun. Makar Sankranti or Bihu marks the northward transition (Uttarayan) of the sun.

History:

The observance of Bihu dates back to ancient times. It was around 3500 BC that people began offering fire sacrifices so as to improve their harvest, according to scholars. The agricultural tribe of Dimasa Kacharis lived in the region of present-day Assam thousands of years ago, and are thought to be the first to mark the festival.

Significance:

Magh Bihu is celebrated on the first day of Magh month as per Bengali Panjika. Bihu basically celebrates the change of the seasons. The festival is dedicated to Agni, the Lord of Fire. However in the rest of the country, the festival of Sankranti is dedicated to Surya, the Sun god. The festival emphasises being connected to the community and to Mother Nature.

How is the festival celebrated?

The festivities celebrate a ritual called Meji after ceremonial bathing the next day. People worship gods and goddesses in temples and make offerings, light bonfires (Meji Jwaluwa) on the fields. Subsequently, the bhelaghars (temporary huts) are also set on fire. The ash from the residue becomes a fertiliser to improve the land’s yield.

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