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Bhogali (Magh) Bihu
The Assamese harvest feast of mid January, with a bonfire, a community meal and mekhela chador in the cold.
What is worn for Bhogali (Magh) Bihu
Bhogali Bihu, also called Magh Bihu, is the harvest festival of Assam, held in the middle of January. The word bhogali comes from bhog, meaning feast and enjoyment. The first evening, called Uruka, brings a communal meal and the building of meji, a bonfire hut of thatch and bamboo, which is burned at dawn the next day. People gather round the fire to offer thanks and eat sweets of rice, such as pitha and laru. Women dress in mekhela chador, often in silk or cotton in warm colours, with a shawl on top for the cold, and men wear a dhoti and gamosa. egg fights and other traditional games.
The sarees
Written by the EveryPallu desk with AI assistance. Background: "Magh Bihu" on Wikipedia. Customs differ from place to place and family to family. If this is your tradition and we have it wrong, tell us.
Photo credits on this page
The small pictures above come from Wikimedia Commons under free licences. Some are cropped to fit.
- Mekhela chador: Deepraj, CC BY 2.5, source
- Gamosa: Priyankoo at en.wikipedia, Public domain, source