The Bihu dance is a folk dance from the Assam state performed on the Bihu festival. Dancers wear Assamese traditional attire.
The first day of the bihu is called goru bihu or cow bihu, where the cows are washed and worshipped, which falls on the last day of the previous year, usually on April 14. This is followed by manuh (human) bihu on April 15, the New Year Day.
Assamese Bihu is one of the most important cultural festivals of Assam, which celebrates the change in seasons. Magh Bihu symbolises the end of the harvest season, Rongali Bihu, comes as Assamese New Year while Kati Bihu celebrates the harvest season.
The Cheraw or bamboo dance is a traditional dance of Mizoram. It is considered to be one of the oldest dances of Mizoram. The dance is believed to have emerged out of a ritual. In this dance form, bamboos are kept in horizontal or cross formation on the ground.
Assam's Traditional Cuisine:
- Khaar: It is considered as the primary food item that is compulsorily available in the large traditional Assamese thali.
- Masor Tenga: This dish is also non-vegetation and is perfect to have during summers.
- Aloo Pitika:
- Ouu tenga:
- Silkworm:
- Duck meat curry:
Kati Bihu also called Kongali Bihu unlike the other Bihu's, is not a flamboyant festival and the festivities are graver in nature. An earthern lamp is lit in the near the Tulsi plant which is termed as the 'Tulsi Bheti'.
The gogona (Assamese: গগণা) is a type of jaw harp, a vibrating reed instrument that is used primarily in the traditional Bihu music in Assam. In Boro language, it is known as Gongina. It is made of a piece of bamboo/horn that has a bifurcation on one end.
The Dotara, literally meaning “two-stringedâ€, is also a folk musical instrument that resembles a guitar or a mandolin, or the long necked two-stringed lute found in Central Asia. The Dotara dates back to the fifteenth or sixteenth century, and despite its name, may have more than two strings, often four, five or six.
Bihu, in Assam, is of three types: Rangoli Bihu, Magh Bihu and Maghar Domahi. Bihu falls on the first day of the Magh month, according to the Bengali calendar. It is Bohag Bihu which marks the beginning of spring, and it lasts for several days.
Dhol, a folk music instrument of Assam, is considered to be one of the most important assets of Bihu celebration. The side of the dhol played by hands is made of cow's leather. The other side is made of bull's leather.
English: A musical instrument that is played during the bihu and made of bamboo sticks. There are two types of gogona- Ramdhon gogona and Lahori gogona.
List
| Name of instrument | Name in Assamese | Notes |
|---|
| Bahi | বাà¦à¦¹à§€ | Bahi or bamboo flute is popular in Assam. |
| Bin | বীন | Bin is an old Assamese instrument |
| Bhortal | à¦à§‹à¦à§°à¦¤à¦¾à¦² | Bhortal is used in Vaishnavite culture of Assam mostly. It is made up of metal. |
| Khram | খà§à§°à¦¾à¦® | Khram is a long instrument. |
Satriya Nritya is the classical dance form of Assam which represents the Satriya culture, the basis of the religious and cultural fabric of Assam.
What is Bhortal Dance? Barpeta's Bhortal Nritya is one of the most popular dances performed in the Assam state of India. People who belong to all age group and cultural background enjoy this dance. Generally, it is performed during the festival season like Bihu and is staged in and around the district of Barpeta.
Traditionally this day always held special importance for farmers as Baisakhi marks the time for harvest of Rabi (winter) crops.
Collection of 30 Baisakhi Recipes.
| Sarson da saag | Maaki di roti |
|---|
| Gajar ka halwa | Sooji halwa |
| Sweet Punjabi lassi | Seviyaan kheer |
| Rice kheer | Aloo kulcha |
| Kadai chole | Paneer butter masala |
Bihu: folk dance of Assam | INDIAN CULTURE.
Pitha. Pitha (rice cake) is a special class of rice preparation generally made only on occasions like Bihu in Assam.
Bihu: folk dance of Assam.
Bihu. Bihu is the most popular folk dance of Assam. Bihu dances are performed by young boys and girls during the Bihu festivities which represent youthful passion, reproductive urge and joy. It is characterized by brisk dance steps and rapid hand movement.
The people celebrate 'Uruka' by preparing different types of foods at night. Next morning, they wake up and light the 'Meji' and offer prayers to the God of fire. The 'Bhelaghar' is also burnt along with 'Meji', and people consume a special preparation known as 'Mah-Karai', i.e. roasted mixture of rice and black gram.
On the first day of Magh Bihu or Uruka, men and women prepare food items like – chira, pitha, laru, curd for the following day of celebrations. Young people go to the fields and build makeshift huts, or bhelaghar, using bamboo, leaves and thatch.
| Uday Shankar |
|---|
| Born | 8 December 1900 Udaipur, Udaipur State, British India |
| Died | 26 September 1977 (aged 76) Kolkata, West Bengal, India |
| Nationality | Indian |
| Occupation | Dancer, choreographer |
Based on archaeological findings, odissi is belived to be the oldest of the surviving Indian classical dances.
GUWAHATI: Since 1696, when Ahom King Rudra Singha gave the festival of Bihu royal patronage for the first time by allowing it to be performed in the courtyard of Rang Ghar, to the 21st century where Bihu has almost become synonymous with commercialization, the festival has seen many changes.
6 Best Classical Dances of India
- Bharatanatyam : One of the most ancient Indian classical dance forms is Bharatanatyam from southern India basically Tamil Nadu.
- Kathakali : Kathakali originated from southwestern India, around the state of Kerala.
- Kathak :
- Manipuri :
- Kuchipudi :
- Odissi :
Bohag Bihu or Rongali Bihu, is one of the biggest festivals celebrated in the North Eastern state of Assam and marks the start of the Assamese New Year. The observance, which promotes the celebration of ethnic diversity, is essentially a harvest festival and also aims to unite the different native communities of Assam.
The Bhogali Bihu or the Magh Bihu is a harvest festival, with community feasts. Bohag Bihu is a sowing festival, Kati Bihu is associated with crop protection and worship of plants and crops and is an animistic form of the festival, while Bhogali Bihu is a harvest festival.
Bihu is a harvest festival celebrated mainly in Assam and a few other North-eastern states three times a year. The festival celebrated in January that coincides with Makar Sankranti is called the Bhogali Bihu.
How has the speaker described the Bihu dance? The speaker describes the Bihu dance as joyous.He loved its brisk steps and hand movements. During the Kongali Bihu when the sowing is completed, farmers light saki or earthen lamps in the paddy field and pray for a good crop.
The three types of Bihu dance festival are Bohag Bihu, Kongali Bihu and Bhogali Bihu. The celebrations of these three festivals are dependent upon the crop cycle. The Bohag Bihu, also known as the Rongali Bihu is held in the month of April, and signifies the beginning of the New Year according to the Assamese calendar.
